


The Price of Blood

by GreenEggsnSam



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragon Age Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Elf!Neil, F/M, Half-Dwarf!Twinyards, Just casually stealing some geography and lore, M/M, Mage!Neil, No prior knowledge needed/everythings explained, there is a decent amount of blood as the title suggests
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2018-09-18 15:15:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 50,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9390545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenEggsnSam/pseuds/GreenEggsnSam
Summary: Andrew wasn’t pleased about being dragged to the backwater town called Millport, but a tip from some second-rate hunter had made its way to the Court – about a strange runaway named Neil Josten sharing the man’s campfire. Of course it piqued Kevin’s interest, who just had to meet this Neil himself.Where the Foxes are a group of mercenaries hired by Palmetto City to act as their elite guard and end up having to protect the land from the potential Demon Armies Riko is trying to release.Fantasy/Dragon Age AU





	1. The Tip

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fantasy/medieval AU that's gonna have elements borrowed from Dragon Age in terms of geography and races, but used very loosely in comparison to the original and I'm going to try the explain most things within the actual story. It's a personal idea I've been working with for a while and I just want to bring it to life. 
> 
> Main geographical points:  
> Ferelden - Where Millport and the Palmetto will be located.  
> Orlais - Where Nicky, Aaron and Andrew are from.  
> Tevinter - Ravens are based here as well as the Butcher.
> 
> Races (besides human):  
> Elves- in the Dragon Age world are heavily discriminated against. There's City Elves - who life with humans but in essentially ghettos, and Dalish who live in the wild and practice what little still remains of their culture. Dalish elves have facial tattoos in dedication to a particular Elven God (generally given when reach adulthood but taking liberties).  
> Dwarves- generally keep to themselves. They're magic resistant.  
> Qunari - are a giant race and they have varying horns. Said to descend from dragons. Will come into play.
> 
> Others will be explained in the text if they come up.
> 
> I'll also be borrowing some dialogue for the actual books! I don't own or claim to own the aftg or dragon age series.  
>    
> I also don't have a Beta so if anything isn't quite making sense please point it out to me so I can fix it! Thank you!

Andrew wasn’t pleased about being dragged to the backwater town called Millport.

A tip from some second-rate hunter had made its way to the Court, about a strange runaway named Neil Josten sharing the man’s campfire. Of course it piqued Kevin’s interest.  Kevin _had_ to meet this Neil himself.

It wasn’t even a reputable hunter who’d sent the tip, a Hernandez who was as washed out and unimportant as Millport itself.  They would have thrown out the report if it hadn’t included a bear pelt, one prepared with an expertise near equal to Renee’s own hand.  The runaway claimed he found the bear post-mortem, but the hide was in perfect condition - the only visible cuts were made by a blade with pinpoint accuracy.

Either Neil was a master thief, who preyed on local hunters, or highly skilled with a dagger. Considering the lack of high-caliber hunters in the area, it had to be the later.

“We need this recruit.” Kevin had lectured Andrew for his lack of enthusiasm. “It’s winter soon and it’s unrealistic to believe Renee can supply all our provisions herself.”.

Their last new recruit had been mauled by a bear before even starting. Andrew wouldn’t deny they needed Neil; it was his sudden appearance Andrew didn’t like. Neil was too good to be true. He would rather help Renee out himself than risk it, but Kevin and Wymack had decided. His hands were tied.

It took a week of travel to finally reach Millport, all in hopes of nabbing the runaway. Kevin and Andrew were given the task to perimeter check the town, while Wymack further discussed their new recruit with Hernandez. The town was just as underwhelming as Andrew expected.

 “Wymack’s doing the provisional offer. Once he gives the signal we rush in, either to finalize the deal or keep the recruit from running” Kevin’s voice was stern, no doubt playing through every possible scenario this mission could take - a fruitless task. Andrew didn’t grace him with a response, his posture the definition of relaxation.

As their Captain, it was natural Wymack was in charge of the actual recruitment process. That left Andrew and Kevin standing watch, barely more than a stone’s throw from the fire site, waiting for the signal.

They didn’t wait long. Within minutes a loud metallic clang rang through the area – the distinct sound of a pot clattering to the ground, and they Andrew sprang to action.

Andrew rushed to the fire, only a step behind Kevin. When the campfire come to view, he easily spotted Wymack and a hunter he assumed to be Hernandez besides it. What he didn’t see was anyone who could be Neil. So the runaway ran, _how surprising_.

The area was standard for a hunter. Racks were constructed from sticks, for leathering and meat curing, and the fire was big enough to roast multiple hunks of meat at a time. The pot that alerted them rested besides the rocks circling the fire pit. Andrew saw no other indication of a struggle, the runaway must have knocked the pot over when he bolted.

Wymack was stood before the fire, and the glowing light made his face appear a shade gruffer than usual. Hernandez was apologizing profusely beside him.

 “He bolted the second the he saw the crest.” Wymack pointed to the bronze fox the adorned the center of his breastplate. It was the same fox that adorned Kevin and Andrew’s armor, that was adorned _all_ the Foxes armor.

The Foxes were infamous, a sad group of mercenaries – each member just as tragic as the last. The fact that they now acted as the elite guard of Palmetto, the Feralden Empire’s Capitol, did nothing to improve their social standing. Andrew couldn’t blame the runaway for bolting, the reaction wasn’t unwarranted, but it was suspicious. He was hiding something and Andrew was going to find out.

 “Get ready. We’re following him.” Wymack ordered, brandishing his broadsword as he started towards the forest with Kevin at his heels.

 

* * *

 

Neil sprinted through the forest, narrowly dodging branches as he ran. He knew he was making shoddy work at hiding his tracks, but he had to make it back to the cave.

 _Shit._ Neil cursed himself. He’d only been there for a month or two. He was hoping to hunker down in the area for the winter. It’d been a mistake associating with Hernandez, but the fire had been a much needed and the company was… nice.

Neil had thought he’d been discreet - he hadn’t told Hernandez anything about himself. He didn't even look like himself. His hair was a drab brown, died with roots he found in the forest, and charms hid his eye color and tattoos. The only aspect that remained consistent through all his disguises was his ears and he had made sure never to remove his headgear outside the cave.

Neil had even pretended to be a novice hunter, asking Hernandez for advice in taking down prey and cleaning the bodies. He thought he’d been convincing. He should never have gifted Hernandez the pelt. He should never have made contact with the man, let alone trade anything. His mother wouldn’t have approved. She would throttle him right now if she could.

 _Never stay in one play. Never let anyone find you. Never stop running._ She had drilled it into his head, but Neil had been so tired of running, and running hadn’t helped her.

Neil reached the opening of the cave in record time. From this angle, it was near invisible, hidden between two giant trees, and obscured by a large blanket of moss. Neil glanced behind him before moving the moss aside and entering. The forest made no sounds to suggest they had kept his pace. A quick calculation told him he had 20 minutes at best before the Foxes caught up; less if that had an experienced tracker. 

He wasn’t sure what the foxes were doing at a no-name town like Millport. He knew they didn’t know his true identity; if they did he had no doubt the large one, Wymack, would have skewered him on the spot. Instead he had spoken of recruitment to him, but Neil had heard the sound of unfamiliar footsteps nearby – the telltale sign of a potential ambush. Neil, not keen on testing is luck, had run.

He gathered the few belongings he had in the cave, and began packing. It didn’t take long, Neil’s entire life fit into the single rucksack. The contents mostly consisted of spare clothes, all threadworn browns and beiges; in a small country town like this it made him invisible.  The rest was occupied with supplies: meat he treated with Hernandez, a small pan for cooking and a leather journal he wrapped in furs with the upmost care before he shoved it in the deepest corner of his bag, right next a sizeable bag of money – that journal was his lifeline.

Neil hitched the bag over his shoulder and made for the exit. He had already formulated his escape plane; once he cleared the entrance he’d enter a full sprint and disappear into the woods - his trail would go cold to anyone following. The next town was only two days travel, he could make it.

A rock-crusher to the gut stopped him in his tracks as he felt the ground swept from beneath his feet. Neil hurdled towards the cave floor, his helm slipping from his head and landing with a loud _clang_.

Neil couldn’t breathe.  He could feel himself scrambling, unable to keep his bearings as he clutched his stomach and gasped for breathe. His bag fell from his shoulders in his effort to ground himself, and it was all he could do to look up.

His attacker stood above him. The figure was short, yet muscular, with blonde hair and a maniac smile. Neil should have been able to sense him, but all he could read nothing off the man. He was a blank slate.

The man raised his hand to his temple in a two finger salute as he spoke: “Better luck next time.”  

“Fuck You.” Neil spat between gasps, as two more men joined his attacker. The larger stayed behind, Wymack he guessed by the silhouette. The other, slightly smaller man approached Neil and his blood ran cold when he recognized the number 2 branded onto the man’s cheek. It was a face he hadn’t seen in years; Kevin Day.

Neil was fucked.

 

* * *

 

Wymack had quickly lead Kevin and Andrew though the woods, unfalteringly tracking the runaways footsteps. Neil was good, that was obvious, but not good enough to fool Wymack’s years of experience.

Ultimately, it was Andrew who located the cave for the others. The unnatural fold of the moss gave the opening away; Neil’s haste had made him sloppy.

Andrew was poised and ready for the attack when Kevin’s arm shot up in front of him, halting him. In his other hand, Kevin was holding a tiny vial - Andrew’s prescribed calming potions, made mandatory after he had beaten a mage circle bloody using only his fists.

Kevin refused to meet his eyes.

 “We have a deal.” Andrew hissed. On missions he could go sober. It was the only reason he agreed to join the ragtag team that was the Foxes.

“And it’s still in effect.” Wymack stepped in front of Andrew and met his gaze, “We also have a new recruit. If he knew that, it could permanently incarcerate you.”

He was right. Andrew knew that. It didn’t mean he had to like it, as he snatched the potion and downed it in gulp.

Andrew felt the cloud enter his vision as the calming potion took effect. He saw himself swing his rock crusher and it felt weightless in his arms. He heard himself speak and felt the smile split his features.

Andrew wasn’t sure what part was reality, and what was the potion. What he saw beneath him was Neil’s face bear; his headgear lost in the collision. Detailed tattoos seemed to flicker across his face like fire, and Andrew could swear he saw glowing blue peeking out behind brown eyes.

Unchanging pointed ears confirmed one thing and Andrew felt himself laughing.

No one had told him their new recruit was a fucking elf.

 

 

 


	2. Blood Writing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have a Beta so if anything isn't quite making sense please point it out to me so I can fix it! Thank you!

“I already gave you my answer. I’m not joining.” Neil made sure his voice was clear and strong, an attempt to mask what he was really feeling, like the earth was shattering beneath him.

He hadn’t felt this helpless since he watched his mother’s body burn away to ashes – the last time he had allowed himself to feel his father’s power coursing through his veins.

It sickened him.

“You act like you have a choice” Kevin said. From the ground Neil had to look up at him. It was like nothing had changed in all these years.

Neil hadn’t seen Kevin since they were children; him an elf slave living under the Tevinter Magistrates – the Moriyamas, and Kevin the new pet given to the branch family after Kayleigh Day’s untimely death. She had been a friend to the Branch Family, often fought besides them, but she was not their equal. She hadn’t known that.

When he was younger Neil had envied Kevin. Kevin joined the Ravens, Tevinter’s own elite mercenaries, one that put the Foxes to shame. In terms of strength and skill, Kevin was second only to one – Riko Moriyama and Riko had the benefit of being born with magic. He grew up among riches, warm and comfortable, rather than cold cave floors and stormy nights Neil had.

It wasn’t until Neil was much older that he realized Tevinter was never warm.  It wasn’t until Neil started hearing chatter among the townspeople – Tevinter’s greatest swordsman fallen in battle, rumored dead, and the even louder chatter when he resurfaced a Fox with a volatile Andrew Minyard and a shattered left hand.

Neil knew Kevin wouldn’t recognize him. Neil looked like any other elf, and the distinguishable power that encased him as a child was masked the second his mother took him and ran. That assurance did nothing to quell the waves of worry that crashed inside him.

“You’re position here has been compromised. Winter is approaching and most Fereldens don’t take kindly to elves.  You can wait for inevitable to happen here, or come to the Foxhole Court. We need a hunter.” Kevin spoke impatiently, blunt and directly to the point.

“Ask Hernandez then. Ask the thousands of other hunters. I’m not working underneath the Noble Kevin Day.” Neil spat back, forcing as much venom into _Noble_ as possible. Kevin had found a second home among the Foxes, while Neil still slept on cave floors. He was tired of being looked down upon.

He was tired of everything.

“Then work with me.” Kevin said, before he turned and walked away, not even bothering for Neil’s response. Andrew taunted Neil with a second salute, and followed Kevin like an overgrown dog.

“Sorry about that kid.”

Neil jumped. He had been too distracted by Kevin to notice Wymack’s approach. The older man was right beside him now, but the flinch had sent him back with frown. Neil was almost sorry.

“The Foxes are a mismatched group, but we’re all equals. It’s about second chances, sometimes even third.” Wymack gaze was intense. Neil refused to meet it, instead focusing on his discarded helm. “We need another rogue. We’ve decided that’s you.” Wymack stood up to leave, quickly making his way to the cave opening.

“We leave tomorrow at sunrise. Join us at the town entrance or not. It’s your choice.”

They both already knew Neil would be there.

* * *

 

The sun was just beginning to rise when Neil made his way to Millport’s entrance with everything he owned in a bag on his back. His mother would be screaming at him right now. He was throwing away everything she had drilled into him for the past eight years.  He tried not to think about her as he approached the party’s caravan.

Kevin looked dead on his feet, but managed to nod Neil a hello before slumping into the caravan with a stifled yawn. Andrew didn’t follow him; instead he made a direct route to Neil. Neil instantly began to regret his decision.

“Neil, Hello! How good of you to join us!” Andrew said, with a wide, taunting smile. Neil tightened his grip on his sheathed daggers as he drew near. He was conspicuously close when he stopped in front of Neil. “You’re a perfect fit for the Foxes. Always did want to meet a Dalish Hobo.”

Neil froze. His vallaslin - his tattoos were hidden, his skin charmed clear, like his eyes brown. The strongest mages couldn’t see past it. There was no way anyone could’ve linked him to the Dalish – nomadic elves that cling to old Elven traditions and the old gods. They were a dying race in the new world. His tattoos were his only link to the Dalish. Warning bells were ringing in Neil’s head.

“I saw them, your blood writing. What are you hiding runaway?” Andrew said and jutted a small knife towards Neil’s stomach. He was quick for someone so short. Neil could feel the tip through his shirt and recognized the placement. With a twist, Andrew could gut him like a pig.

Andrew had seen his tattoos. Neil could feel his mind whirling, trying to sense something from the blonde to explain the impossible, but got nothing, not even the slightest hint of magic. A distinct nothing emitted from Andrew’s blood. Neil felt everything click; Andrew’s stature, his ability to see past his charms, how he hadn’t sensed him outside the cave yesterday.

“At least my blood doesn’t stink of dwarf.” Neil hissed back. Andrew had dwarfish blood running through his veins, known for its resistance to magic.  It was rare, but he’d heard some were near immune to all effects of magic. By the darkening of Andrew’s eyes he knew he was right. Neil watched Andrew’s smile flicker blank.

“Well aren’t you full of surprises?” Neil watched the splitting grin reform on his face. Andrew backed up from him, and retracted his knife, before turning to join Kevin in the caravan.

Neil released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. One of his major secrets had been revealed, and while he had countered Andrew, he knew it wasn’t enough. His only comfort was Andrew had no proof.

He was stirred out of his daze by Wymack’s approach. The Captain finally finished checking the horse reigns. They were good to go.

“Got everything, kid?” Wymack asked, eyeing Neil’s single bag with doubt.

“It’s everything.” Neil said, hesitated and then asked anyways “Andrew’s a dwarf?” He knew he was right, but no market talk had ever mentioned the blonde’s questionable lineage.

The question got a chuckle out of Wymack. “Half-dwarf. Otherwise he’d have no excuse for his shameful facial hair and would’ve turned out an even smaller midget.” Wymack picked up a few bags – provisions and the like, and secured them to the vehicle, before motioning to Neil.

“You’re upfront with me. Not trusting you alone with those monsters for a second.” Wymack banged the side of the caravan, alerting the two inside. “We’re driving throughout the night. No stops. You hear that in there!?”

“Aye aye Captain.” Came the enthusiasm only potions could provide this early in the morning. A slow groan indicated Kevin heard him as well.

It was Neil’s last chance to run, to uphold everything his mother taught him. Instead he found himself following Wymack to front of the caravan. His heart was beating a million miles per minute. It felt like living.

* * *

 

Wymack was soft. It was their fourth stop since heading out of Millport - a tavern in another backwater town, and the last one before their arrival back in Palmetto. 

Andrew sat on the roof of the tavern, a cobbled mess of slate and wood, that was barely able to keep the weather at bay. Kevin slept in the bed in the room below him, sleeping off the unholy amount of mead he’d consumed at dinner. Wymack occupied the second bed of the room. Both Andrew and Neil had opted for the floor, both of them unwilling to share beds with another.

The journey had been pleasant enough. Andrew and Kevin kept to themselves inside the caravan, Wymack and Neil outside, and no bandits tried to join them. He’d heard snippets of conversation, mostly from Wymack, explaining the Foxes’ duties and what Neil’s place would be in everything. Andrew felt the Captain was counting his chickens before they hatched. Neil had come with them. It didn’t mean he would stay.

Andrew could feel the potion’s effect wearing thin, leaving him the soberest he’s been since Millport. In this state, he could probably make out Neil’s tattoos again - if given the chance. In each rented room, Neil had immediately wrapped himself in fur and taken to the furthest corner of the room, his back turned to all of them. Andrew would say he was leaving himself open, except he never saw the rise and fall of the elf’s chest that indicated sleep.  

That meant Andrew didn’t sleep either Fatigue was etched into his bones and he felt it settling as he maneuvered himself down the roof. He was climbing back into their room through the window, when he felt something watching him and froze.

Glowing eyes immediately snagged his attention from the corner. He was in a precarious position, balanced on the window sill and clutching the upper banister for support.  He couldn’t grab his knives, keep his balance, and protect Kevin all at once.

“It’s me.” Neil whispered from across the room, and Andrew saw it true when his own vision adapted. Dark vision – Andrew had it himself. His fatigue was making his careless, making him jump to conclusions. It had been foolish to leave Kevin alone with Neil in the first place.

Andrew studied the elf as he fully entered the room. In Neil’s hands he clutched a leather journal that he quickly hid from view. Andrew stored that information away for revisitation, and focused on Neil’s face instead.  Without the potions effect, Andrew could clearly make out the intricate tattoo lines that swooped around the elf’s features, rather than the occasional flickers Andrew had become accustomed to. Andrew knew little about Dalish lore, but he recalled from Renee that the tattoos corresponded to the elven gods, and the wearer’s devotion to them. To Andrew, it seemed ridiculous - religion was nothing but false hope.

“Which god do they represent?” He asked, not bothering to hide the scorn in his voice.

“I don’t worship any gods.” Neil was quick to respond, defensive even.

“Then why bother.” Andrew raised his hand, tracing the side of his own head to illustrate - a reminder to Neil that he could see them perfectly. By the way Neil stiffened his shoulder, he wasn’t accounting for that.

It took a moment before he got a response.

“My mother believed,” Neil said, “They’re for Falon'Din.”

_The god of death and fortune._

“Odd choice.” Andrew said.

“The best thing life can offer is a peaceful death. “

“Because it’s a cruel world?”

“No, it’s not the world that cruel - it’s the people in it.” Neil spoke the irrefutable truth. Andrew made his way towards his own corner of the floor; a pile of blankets at the side of Kevin’s bed.

“Why were you on the roof?” Neil asked, his eyes unblinking as he watched Andrew.

“Feeling.” That was the only response Andrew would give; a truth for a truth.

The memory of his mother applying the blood writing to Neil’s face kept him up that night. They had just escaped his father, and it was the first moment of rest they had received in days. She had used his blood to apply the tattoos.

He could show no pain as his mother pierced him a thousand times. Vallaslin was meant for Dalish who had come of age. At the time, Neil was neither, but it was what he had to become to survive. The tattoos healed the same color as his hair, a dark auburn that was always a shade too close to blood for his comfort.

“These will keep you safe when I cannot.” She had spoken, and she had sounded so sure.

The next day, his mother taught him how to charm the tattoos into nonexistence.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took some liberties with Andrew being half-dwarf. Also only Dalish elves have the blood writing/facial tattoos.
> 
> Also changed up the whole Kevin/Neil's who give me you game/not playing with me but for me deal. 
> 
> Next chapter magic fighting actually occurs and more character introductions.


	3. Welcome to the Foxhole Court

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the chapter length doubles!   
> Is it because of the actual fight scene? It is.

It had taken another day of travel for the caravan to reach Palmetto. By evening, Kevin, Andrew and Neil stood outside the Foxhole Court; the Foxes’ private building located in the heart of Palmetto.

Neil hadn’t realized how badly he wanted home until he stood outside the Foxhole. From the outside, the Court was nothing impressive, a tacky building, strewn with orange and white banners – the official colors of Palmetto - that looked more like a tavern than a base of operations. The inside was no more impressive than the outside; a large oak table took up majority of the room, with chairs spread out haphazardly around it, but it seemed warm in a way Neil couldn’t wrap his head around.

A quick surveillance of the room revealed a set of staircases on each side; one that lead up, the other down.  To the far wall, two rooms appeared to branch off from the main room. The one room’s door was closed and read WYMACK in large letters on the outside of it. The other room’s door was perked open, and Neil could see another table through the doorway; he assumed it to be a kitchen or dining area of sorts. There were no windows in the room, the only light coming from cracks in the wood siding, and the occasional lit candle.

“Let’s go.” Kevin said. He was waiting at the top of a set of stairs that led down. “Wymack’s preparing you a set of keys for the building. For now we’re training.”

Neil followed him out of the main room without question. He felt like he was walking on clouds.

* * *

 

The stairs lead to an open room the size of a small ballroom. The training room, Neil guessed, based on the weaponry, targets and stuffed dummies that littered the hardwood floors. The walls were a cool gray stone, completely covered in more white and orange tapestries and shelves full of assorted weaponry.

It was nowhere near as grand as the training rooms he remembered from his childhood; all black marble, only broken up by the puddles of blood that soaked the floor from the pain his father caused, or as rustic as the thickets his mom honed his survival skills in, where he practiced the daggers until he couldn’t move - but it felt welcoming. It was like the main room above, it was warm in a way Neil didn’t understand.

“No wonder they chose you.” A voice said from behind Neil. Turning quickly, Neil took in the man that spoke. He was tall with a tan too dark to be just from the sun, with curly dark hair and a bemused look on his face. Besides the man stood Andrew’s doppelganger - the only difference was where Andrew was either blank or smiling, this one’s face seemed set in a permanent scowl.

“I’m Nicky” Nicky walked up to Neil and gave his shoulder a hard squeeze. Neil tried to act natural. “I’m Andrew and Aaron’s cousin, elemental mage extraordinaire. Aaron’s Andrews twin, though I guess that last bits pretty obvious.” Nicky gestured to Aaron, who gave no indication he had heard Nicky.

“Get him geared up.” Kevin said with a pointed look at the three of them and turned to make his way to one of the few benches lining the room. Andrew followed.

Nicky gave Neil a sheepish grin, “This way,” and directed Neil to a separate room, that opened to a small armory. Nicky immediately began rummaging through the breastplates

“Now we must have something your size, and we can do better than the ugly helm you’re wearing. I can barely see your face in that, how do you even see?” Nicky talked endlessly as he sized each breastplate to Neil, and discarding all that didn’t fit. Neil toned out after the third breastplate. It was quickly becoming clear that none of them fit.

“This isn’t working.” Nicky frowned, and there was something different about how he spoke. It took Neil a few seconds to realize he had been speaking Orlean, a language his mother had taught him out of necessity while on the run. It made sense Nicky knew it, most of the mage circles existed in Orlais, but it still sent a chill down his spine.

“Maybe because you’re looking through the human armor,” Aaron responded in the same language as he grabbed the staff besides him and Neil’s helm was yanked from his head before clattering to the ground.

Levitation magic Neil recognized with a shock. Aaron was a mage and he was strong. Neil could sense the magic rippling off him, completely different from the lack of energy Andrew extruded.  Before he could ask the magic dissipated, as if never there. Odd.

Neil felt both Nicky’s hand come down on his shoulders, effectively removing him from his thoughts.

“Neil! You’re an elf! And a cute one! Why didn’t you say anything?”

“You didn’t give him a chance.” Aaron said.

Neil blinked. He had never received such a disinterested reaction, let alone a positive one when faced with his race. Who were these people?

“Lucky for him he’s not the only elf around.” Nicky turned to Neil and offered him a sheepish grin, “Renee, she’s only a half-elf but has the stature and feature to back her heritage up. She’s also a rogue who specializes in daggers! ”

“I’m just a hunter, not a rogue.” Neil said. Even to him, the lie was weak – he had already presented himself as a dual dagger wielder, he had the skills to back it up and he joined the Foxes under Wymack’s offer of needing a rogue. In all intents and purposes to these people, he was one.

His mother was rolling in her non-existent grave, but it was better than the alternative.

“Tough shit. You’re one now.” Aaron handed Neil a set of Dalish amor, modified to adorn bronze fox insignias on the chest and shoulders, that comprised of intricately weaved stripes of leather and light metal support pieces

 “Meet us outside and don’t bother with a helm.”

Neil waited for them to leave before turning to change. He hadn’t considered the difficulties changing would be, how uncomfortable he was allowing anyone to see his scars – it hadn’t mattered when he lived in a cave by himself, when there was nobody to see the brutal marks. Thin puckered scars littered his torso, arms and legs from, most earned in confrontations with his father’s men, others from the occasional wildlife. If he had a mirror he could see the deep gnashes carved into his back as well. He had skin worn shapeless from close getaways - patches ripped away by rock and gravel. If he raised his hand near his collarbone, he knew he could feel the old puckered wound from an arrowhead.

The worst scars were given to him by his father. Deep lines carved into him with a clever that overlapped on his stomach and arms. Ever since childhood, Neil was never anything but a blood bag to his father. Running had only made him more willing to bleed Neil dry. Seared into Neil’s right shoulder was the brand his father gave him – announcing to world exactly what he was and who he belonged to. Neil still remembered how his kin looked as it peeled off the metal.

Neil made quick work of the armor, refusing to think further on the matter and found it fit perfectly – designed thick enough to offer protection, yet didn’t offer inhibition to his movements and left his heels bare, allowing quick, silent attacks.

It was the safest Neil had felt in his own body in a very long time. 

* * *

 

“We’re sparring, two on one, you with your daggers against us with our magic.” Nicky explained as he retrieved his staff, and Aaron appeared to be strapping multiple colored flasks to his belt.

“Are they not participating?” Neil asked, indicating towards Kevin and Andrew with his head.  

“Spectators for today I’m afraid. Kevin’s hand still hasn’t recovered,” Nicky clapped him on the shoulder with a forced smile. Neil was going to have to get used to this human contact thing. “Armor looks great on you by the way-“

“Let’s get this over with.” Aaron grumbled from behind Nicky.

Neil readied his position. His placement in the room was directly opposite to the mages, only a short sprint from striking distance. He unsheathed his daggers and waited for the first sign of offense.

He didn’t wait long.

Within seconds, Nicky sent a fire ball his way that Neil easily side-stepped, to find himself in a growing patch of ice. Another quick side-step and he found himself in the path of a lightning bolt, and then more fire. Nicky was casting spells at an alarmingly fast rate. Neil had no problem side-stepping the spells. They were powerful, but it was easy to guess Nicky’s placement. The issue was Nicky’s mana pool – he had already casted multiple high level spells and a quick glimpse at him made it evident he was nowhere close to his limit. Aaron wasn’t even casting. Just standing there, leaning on his staff looking bored.

 Neil had to get closer. Mages were distance attackers, if he was within striking distance their power would be significantly decreased and he could easily parry.

Neil successfully evaded another of Nicky’s lightning spells, and slipped into the shadows, effectively disappearing from the two mage’s view. Nicky’s incantations died in his throat, unsure where to target the spells. Neil took the opening and leapt, reappearing in front of Nicky, daggers aligned for a knockout strike.

His daggers didn’t meet their target, instead they were met with a rippling energy he recognized as Aaron. He had casted a shield around Nicky. Neil used the propulsion from the shield to change direction midair, changing his target and lashing out with both daggers. Aaron blocked with his staff, but already seemed winded. Opposite to Nicky, Aarons incantations were slow and seemed to drain him – Neil figured it was his dwarfish blood, likely leaving him with a significantly smaller mana pool.

Neil went in for another quick attack the second his feet touched the ground. Aaron parried with his staff again, and let loose one of the vials on his belt. Before Neil could react, it shattered on the floor, covering Aaron in flames, and flying Neil backwards – right into Nicky’s awaiting frost spell.

Neil evaded at the last second, but it wasn’t without cost. He was even farther from them now. Nicky and Aaron weren’t the animal prey he had become accustomed to. They were skilled and knew how to fight as a team.

He hadn’t fought anyone this strong since the day he watched his mother burn, and even then all he had done was run. His mother had taught him everything, but she had never taught him to stand and fight. Neil was certain she would kill him if she knew what he was doing. He was supposed to survive, to stay hidden no matter the situation, but for once he wanted to stay.

Neil closed his eyes and let power fill him. It wasn’t his father’s power that coursed wildly through his veins and caused nothing but pain – it was his own, the pinpoint precision burned in him by his mother. Neil could feel Nicky and Aaron’s magic around him, tearing through the veil and rippling into existence as their incantations grew in power.

 He opened his eyes. He could fell their magic coursing through his own blood. Nicky sent three consecutive lightning strikes – Neil evaded and closed the distance between them. Aaron threw more of his flasks at Neil, who now recognized them as elixirs specifically crafted by Aaron to grant him tactical edge in battle, like free cast spells. Neil sideswiped the effects of each flask before he slipped back into the shadow and immediately reappeared behind Aaron, delivering a successful flank attack that disarmed the mage.

Neil turned toward Nicky, dodged his fireball, and appeared besides Nicky, performing a devastating hidden blade attack and disarming him in seconds.

Nicky and Aaron were both disarmed and lying flat against the training floor. Neil felt the adrenaline rush that came with battle course through his system. He had been running for so long that he had forgotten the exhilaration of victory.

“At least you won’t completely drag us down.” Aaron slowly worked his way into a sitting position. He was rubbing his back, his face contorted in obvious discomfort.

Nicky just groaned from the floor.

Neil left them and turned towards Kevin, whose glare seemed to beckon him. He approached still riding the high from victory.

“You’re sloppy.” Kevin said, “You could’ve finished earlier. Nicky’s attacks were too predictable. You weren’t truly challenged, and Aaron-”

“Shut up” Aaron growled, and flipped Kevin off as he exited the training room, which just prompted Kevin to follow him – advice wanted or not.

Nicky only groaned again.

Neil could hear Andrew laughing from the bench besides him.

“Neil! Hello.” Andrew said, his expression more unhinged than usual. He must have just taken his potion.

“You didn’t mention mommy dearest trained you to be an assassin. How multitalented.” Andrew’s grin split his entire face and Neil felt himself pale when he met Andrew’s dark eyes.

Andrew’s lips moved but didn’t make a sound. His finger was raised to his face, tracing an outline across his face. Neil recognized the pattern of his tattoos.

Andrew didn’t need to voice his words. Neil knew what he had said.

God of Death.

* * *

 

Neil had changed out of the armor at the first moment of available privacy – putting as much distance between Andrew and himself. He didn’t understand how Andrew could see through him so easily, picking out truths every instant Neil slipped up. He wasn’t a puzzle to be solved, but that wasn’t stopping Andrew from matching pieces. It didn’t help that with the sudden lack of armor Neil felt raw and vulnerable.

When he made his way back to the main room Wymack was waiting for him.

“Catch.” He said, and Neil snagged the keys tossed his way. There were four keys of varying size, held together by a piece of rope. “Biggest key is for the main door – we lock the court at night. Smallest one gets you into your dormitory upstairs, and the one to its left – that one unlocks your storage chest. The last one unlocks the armory. I expect you to make as much use of them as Kevin.”

Neil felt the cool teeth of the keys digging into his clutched palm. They felt uncharacteristically heavy in his hand, considering their small size, but they made him feel steady, grounding him. Like everything else in the Foxhole Court, they extruded warmth.

It didn’t matter what game Andrew was playing here. Wymack was giving him permission to stay and he was going to make it work, for however long he could.

“Thank You.” Neil said. He didn’t miss the steady way Wymack was watching him.

“Now get. You’re roommates are upstairs. Be back in an hour - Mandatory Team Meeting.” Wymack dismissed him with a wave of his arm and disappeared to his office.

Neil looked to the far corner of the room, where a second flight of stairs led up – where he’d be living during his time with the foxes. During their ride here, Wymack had told him each room housed three to four members in an effort to promote bonding by the administration. As it stood there should only be three rooms; Wymack lived outside the Court.

Neil hooked his bag over his shoulder and made his way to the staircase. He’d made it to the top of the stairs and into the hallway, when one of the doors opened. He hesitated as he watched a pair of dark horns appear from the doorway, followed by a massive body.

A qunari. Neil realized. He hadn’t seen one since Tevinter, and even then the sightings were rare. They were a giant race, said to have descended from dragons.

The stranger seemed just as surprised to see him, but immediately smiled and headed in Neil’s direction. The closer he got, the larger he became – almost seven feet tall, though Neil wasn’t sure if it only seemed that way due to the horns and spikey black hair. When he reached Neil, he put his hand out. Neil accepted.

“Matt Boyd,” the man said, giving Neil’s hand a firm shake. Neil tried to keep him eyes focused on his face, but found his attention drifting towards the multi-colored veins that ran up and down both arms.

“Veteran Fox and Two-Handed Swordman. You must be the new rogue – Neil, right?” Neil could only nod in response. He felt dwarfed next to Matt, and his slender elven figure wasn’t helping.

Lucky for him Matt seemed more bemused than anything about his reaction.

“Well come on. You’ll be rooming with me and Seth,” Matt said, “I can help you with your things.”

“This is it,” Nail said. Matt looked at his bag, then back to his face. He looked about to question it, but just shook his head instead. He turned and headed back to his room, indicating for Neil to follow with a wave of his arm. Neil didn’t miss how Matt had to duck to get his horns through the doorway.

The room was as unimpressive as the base floor – wooden planks lined the room and the only decorations were a shaggy carpet that was unraveling at the edges, a few parchments stuck to the wall and  there were candle holders that had seen better days, each burned to stump. The three beds were all arranged on the same side of the room, with a medium size trunk positioned at each base – two of the beds were a haphazard pile of furs and blankets, obviously already claimed. The third bed was placed farthest from the door, occupying the corner, and only furnished the bare necessities – a pillow, blanket and a bear fur Neil recognized from the door, the one he had given Hernandez and drew the Foxes to him.

A large table took majority of what was left of the room, and a stuffed bench occupied the rest. Lounging on the bench was a human man that screamed attitude problem. Neil guessed that was Seth

The second they entered the room, Seth lowered his parchment paper to scowl at him. He didn’t look happy to see Neil.

“Great, first I dorm with a fucking ox.” Seth stood, “Now I’m supposed to be buddy-buddy with a knife ears.” He sneered and stormed out of the room, making a point to shove Neil on the way out. His parchment paper was left crumbled, forgotten on the bench.

Neil heard Seth’s loud footsteps carry through the hall, and an even louder descent down the stairs. If he listened closely, he might be able to make out the yelling he was now hearing from below them.

Neil felt a hand slap his back, snapping him back to the room. “Sorry about that, Seth’s usually not that blunt. Just - we hadn’t expected the new recruit to be an elf considering Ferelden Countryside and all. I think he’s starting to get intimidated by the lack of human around here.” Matt began, but quickly added, “Though that’s no excuse.”

“It’s fine. I wasn’t expecting a qunari.” Matt stared shocked at him for a second before bursting out another smile.

“Vashoth actually, and half at that.” Neil balked at him. He didn’t have much knowledge outside of human and elf lore, but he did know that the qunari were named after their religion – the qun. If Matt was Vashoth, he wasn’t born under the qun, and if he was half...

“Half?” Neil asked, failing to hide the surprise in his voice. That got Matt laughing.

“Yea. My mom ditched the qun and became a mercenary over here. She met my dad on the job, he’s a _very human_ Orlain merchant, and they hit it off. It didn’t work out in the end, but not before they had me.”

Matt’s smile was infectious, and Neil felt himself relaxing despite the tension Seth had left in the room. Matt was good company, and a great storyteller. He filled their excess time with lighthearted retellings of the Fox’s missions and didn’t try to invade on Neil’s space as he unpacked or seem to mind how unresponsive Neil was. Rather, Matt celebrated a small victory every time Neil made a small comment. It felt like no time had passed at all when it was time to return downstairs.

 “Well time for you to meet the team,” Matt said with a clap to Neil’s back.

Neil stood to follow Matt out of the room, and hesitated, eyeing the chest to work up the courage to walk away – the clothes inside were replaceable, but his lifeline was indispensable and incriminating. He checked the lock on the chest and door twice to reinsure himself everything would be fine, despite the worry gnawing in his stomach. It would have to do.

Two doors down from his, Neil saw Nicky lounging in the doorway.

 “Hey stranger,” Nicky smiled at Neil, “Going to the meeting?”

“It’s mandatory,” Neil said, not slowing on his way by.

“True! We’ll join you in a few,” Nicky called after him with a laugh. Neil heard Nicky close the bedroom door from the stairs – presumably to rally the others.

Neil didn’t think anything of it.

* * *

 

Nicky closed the door behind him.

“They’ve gone downstairs. The room’s clear.”

Andrew had been waiting for this opportunity. He hadn’t forgotten the journal Neil had clutched in his hands that night in the tavern, and given the latest development in the elf’s skillset, Andrew felt it was time to find out the contents.

Before Andrew could get up, Kevin held out a tiny blue vial. It was time for his next dosage.

“After.” He grunted. He needed his attention span to be greater than 10seconds to accomplish what he was about to do. Kevin knew that, he just wasn’t comfortable with the steps they had to take. Foolish considering it was all for his safety.

Kevin attentively lowered his arm, as Andrew stalked across the room. Nicky was pointedly looking everywhere but his direction.

Andrew entered the hallway and silently made his way to Neil’s room. The lock was simple to pick – a joke compared to the ones he’s tackled with Renee. Once in the room it was easy to spot which bed was Neil’s by the sheer nothing it contained. Just that damn bear hide. He supposed it was the Lieutenants attempt at a welcome.

Andrew padded his way across the room, keeping his footsteps silent to prevent alerting any presences downstairs. When he reached the chest he got to work. It was a harder lock the door and took an extra minute to crack, but was still fairly easy.

He wasn’t surprised to see Neil had just thrown his bag into the trunk. He doubted the elf would unpack until he achieved some sort of privacy. Carefully he reached in and opened the rucksack. Clothes appeared to make up bulk of the bag, and if he didn’t know better, he might have assumed that was all there was. Removing them without disturbing the precise way they were folder, Andrew made his way to the bottom of the bag– where he found wrapped furs and a surprisingly large coin pouch.

Bingo.

Andrew reached past the pouch, and removed the furs, unwrapping them to find the leather journal He flipped it open.

The pages were a jumbled mess of elvish and common that, from what Andrew could tell, didn’t even form sentences. The most curious pages were the ones comprised solely of numbers that filled entire pages, and always followed by a map. Andrew didn’t have enough time or knowledge of the elvish language to decrypt the book, but he recognized small overlapping themes. Each sketched map hid a location, evident in a singular error depicted in the region.

The entire journal was a fallback plan, what to do if the worst happened and how to survive despite any circumstances. Andrew was almost disappointed by generic nature of it, until he spotted a small opening, hidden where the leather cover met the inner pages. With precision, he removed multiple pages from the opening – each page written In common with a singular topic – Kevin Day and Riko Moriyama.

They were arranged like a timeline, a list of all the public information surrounding the two; their inauguration into the Ravens, to when Kevin’s injury was publically announced, allegedly during a mission gone wrong. The information collected was clearly market talk – rumors and chatter that spread through the common folk. Neil had to have been collecting this information for years.

The last page only had one entry. It was when Kevin joined the Foxes. Underneath it was red handprint, pressed onto the page and left to dry. Andrew knew blood when he saw it.

Andrew put the pages back and began rearranging the bag exactly as he found it. He felt perfectly calm as he relocked the chest and the door. He headed down the hallway and a quick rap on the wall told the others to follow him. Kevin was the first out, and immediately handed Andrew his potion.

Andrew swallowed it in a single gulp as he headed for the stairs. The journal had given him exactly what he was looking for, proof. Neil could not be trusted.

He felt the smile stretch across his face as he lost himself to the fog.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dragon Age Lore was taken lightly in writing this, especially with how mixing between the races happens, so hope it still worked!  
> Just google Qunari if the picture I word painted was unclear or just image matt with horns. 
> 
> Next chapter, the other Foxes and a semi-suspicious tavern across town.


	4. The Foxes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I don't have a Beta so if any mistakes or something seemed rushed or out of nowhere please tell me!  
> I hope you enjoy!

“Nice of you to show up on time,” Wymack said dryly, as Andrew’s lot joined the other Foxes around the table.

It was the first time Neil had seen all the Foxes in one location and he was gaining insight on the rumors that surrounded the group. The Foxes really were a “half-way house” of sorts. Each member looked strong in their own right, but as a whole the group appeared off kilter – the numerous races represented did not help that image, or the obvious divide between the members.

Andrew’s lot were stationed as far away from the older Foxes as the table allowed – clearly separating themselves from the group. The girls, who had just returned from a mission, Neil had yet to actually interact with them, were all sitting together and seemed to share a harmonious bond. Matt, who had taken a seat next to the one – Dan he had called her, seemed to fall in with them. Seth was sulking by himself, purposefully ostracizing himself from both groups.

Neil wasn’t sure where he fit in on this dynamic. For the time being, he sat close to Matt.

“First order of business,” Wymack said, and jabbed a finger at Neil, “Neil Josten, our new rogue. Got anything to add?” Neil shook his head.

“You’ve already met everyone, except the girls,” Wymack indicated towards the three. “That’s Allison Reynolds. She’s our very own artificer and in charge of all trade negotiations. Don’t get inbetween her and her bow – you’ll regret it.”

“Damn straight.” Allison said. Neil had to lean forward over Matt to get a look at her. For all intents and purpose, she did not look like someone who would be a fox. Her long blonde hair and tall, regal frame, made her more fitted for a mansion, than the Foxhole Court.

“That’s Renee Walker - our other rogue. You two will be hunting together starting tomorrow so make friendly.” Renee leaned forward and offered Neil a small wave. Her hair looked white in the lighting and reached her shoulders. At the tips, her hair was dyed different colors – Neil recognized some of the shades as flowers local to the area. She was a half-elf, yet around her neck was a symbol for the Andrastian Chantry – a human religion, that worshipped the so called Maker. There was something about her that unnerved Neil. He didn’t wave back.

“And Lieutenant Dan Wilds. She’s second in command here and her specialty is the sword. I expect you to follow her every order.” Dan offered Neil a wink from the other side of Matt. She was tan and had dark curly hair, cut short to her head. She wasn’t much taller than him, but Neil had no doubt she could clobber him. From the way she was holding Matt’s arm, he figured they were closer than Neil had initially assumed.

“Question, comments, concerns? Anyone?” Wymack asked.

“I’m fucking concerned“ Seth stood and pointed at Neil. “He’s a-“

“All right, then. Moving on.” Wymack efficiently cut Seth off. “Second order of business. Darkspawn sightings have increased in the past month. Chuck  - Charles Whittier, he’s the elected official of the city – has set priority discovering the cause and keeping the outbreaks as far from the capital as possible.”

Groans filled the room. Wymack had mentioned the Darkspawn threat to Neil during their travels, and the Millport markets were always filled of hushed rumors of them. He had never seen one, but his mother always warned him never to approach, and to never go underground – where the darkspawn thrived. Neil wasn’t sure how he felt facing them.

“That brings me to our final order of business. Tevinter diplomates have been reaching out to the surrounding nations – a plea to combine forces against the Darkspawn. So far Ferelden, Orlais, and Tevinter have agreed to join forces.” Wymack said.

Neil froze at the mention of Tevinter and the entire room seemed to fall into a hush. From his peripheral view, Neil should see Kevin was shaking.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nicky broke the silence.

“The Ravens will be coming south. It’ll take a few months to finalize, but it’s inevitable.”

Neil felt the world crashing from beneath his feet. The Ravens coming to Ferelden meant Tevinter’s influence spreading across the entire continent. If they found him, then so could his father. He tried to push the panic back down his throat, and focus on anything else. He was failing horribly.

“No way,” Dan said sharply. “This isn’t funny, Captain.”

The noise volume of the room grew. Everyone was demanding explanations, drowning each other out over each other’s indignation. Wymack tried to explain the politics, that the nations felt more comfortable banning together – that the Ravens were the strongest military force between them all. Spreading the Ravens, was supposed to crush the Darkspawn. His explanation was falling on deaf ears.

“Ferelden shouldn’t have approved it,” Kevin whispered. Neil could barely hear him over everyone. He zoomed in on Kevin, watching the former Raven fall apart at the mention of his old team. It made Neil forget his own panic.

 “Look at me,” Andrew said and Kevin directed his hollow eyes towards the dwarf.

“It’ll be fine - I promised. Riko will never touch you.” He hardly seemed comforting in his maniac state, but Kevin stopped shaking, and nodded instead, grounded by whatever deal they had between the two.

Neil couldn’t watch any longer. “Anything else Captain, or are we finished?”

“We’re finished. If you have any questions I’ll be in my office.” Wymack retreated from the room and Dan immediately stood to follow him.

Neil got to his feet and headed for the door. He vaguely heard someone calling his name from behind, but it was too late. He was already running.

 

* * *

 

Running did nothing to calm the anxiety growing in his chest. He shouldn’t have come in the first place. He would be safe in his cave right now, able to disappear into the forests like smoke. He still could disappear. He could pack his things and leave. The Foxes wouldn’t assume anything of it, they’d think he was scared and ran, but Neil wasn’t sure running would work this time – not with Tevinter’s soon to be growing influence.

He wouldn’t stand a chance on his own. Not with the darkspawn appearing. Not with the Raven patrolling the area. Unlike Kevin, Neil didn’t have someone to fall back on. Neil was alone, always stuck running, and he was sick of it. Why did Kevin trust Andrew? Why did Kevin always get to live?

Neil stopped in his tracts. Stay or go he likely had two months before the Ravens arrived. He could use his remaining time and live his life, or die somewhere by himself, cold and dark. Neil could still feel the weight of the keys in his pocket.

Neil looked around him. He didn’t recognize where was, he’d never been to the city before, but he could find his way back.

 

 

* * *

 

The sun had fallen well below the horizon by the time Neil made it back to the Court. When Neil opened the door he found Matt, Allison, Dan and Renee seated around the table. They had food scattered about, and looked to have been playing a card game. Their conversation fell silent the second Neil entered. He almost felt sorry interrupting them.

“Neil!” Dan stood up and immediately made her way to him. He braced himself for an impact he was sure was coming – it was how his mother always reached when he was gone too long, but Dan stopped short and her expression was soft. “We were worried you were lost.”

“More like worried you had panicked and ditched.” Allison snorted from her chair, carefully looking through her hand.

“Which is why we stayed here waiting for you.” Dan said loudly, and shot a small glare at Allison. Allison merely shrugged.

 “Why?” Dan and Matt’s faces fell. Even Allison was leveling him with a look that border lined shock.  Neil wasn’t sure what he done to cause such a reaction. He didn’t understand. He and only met these people a few hours ago.

Renee was the only one who seemed unfazed. “We were worried about you. You’re our teammate and teammates look out for each other.” Despite her soft facial expression, Neil felt like there was something hard in her eyes. He nodded.

“Oh.” Neil said. “Sorry then.”

“It’s good. Glad you’re back buddy.” Matt said with a small smile.

“We have food and you can join us at card.” Dan offered.

“No thanks I’m not hungry. I think I’ll just go to bed.” Neil said, still unsure what to do with the situation. He hadn’t missed the disappointment that filtered through Matt and Dan’s faces as he retreated up the stairs.

All the doors were closed when he reached the hallway. When he reached his own door, he found it still locked.  Taking out his keys, he opened it and found the room empty – Seth must have disappeared elsewhere. Neil headed directly to his chest, and sighed in relief when it was still locked. Inside, his bag looked undisturbed. He opened it in one long move, unfolding the flap out of the way, and froze.

Everything was in the exact same spot, but it was wrong. Someone had gone through Neil’s things and put them perfectly back, too perfectly. The thief had fixed all the imperfections Neil purposefully added as security. Neil quickly removed the clothes and dug to the bottom, unfolding the furs that held his journal in the process.

It was still there. He flipped through the pages. Everything was intact from the maps displaying where his mother had hidden money during their travels, to the pages of numbers that hid coordinates to emergency contacts. Even the hidden pages were still intact. Neil had no evidence, but knew the thief had read them.

Neil knew he should ignore this, should let the thief resurface, but he was already shaken to his core by what Wymack had said earlier, and cornered animals had a tendency to lash out – the power running through his veins wasn’t all he had inherited from his father; he also had his temper.

Slipping his finger into the journal’s spine, Neil removed two thin needles which were more than enough to pick the locks on these doors, repacked his bag and headed for Andrew’s room. It could’ve been any of the Foxes, Neil recognized that, but he didn’t care. His brain was screaming Andrew.

Neil was unsurprised to find their door locked, and immediately got to picking. It didn’t take long before he was shoving the bedroom door open.

They all froze in place when he entered; Aaron and Nicky looked at him in shock, their card game instantly paused, and Kevin leveled him with an icy glare. Only Andrew offered him a lazy grin.

“The rabbit’s back. Shame he found the wrong room.” Andrew spoke in Orlean. With each word, he closely watched Neil. Neil let the words roll off them, refusing to give a hint he understood the language.

“We locked that door.” Aaron pointed out in the same language, his eyes flickering between Neil and the open doorframe.

“Hey Neil, you look tired. Did you wander in here by mistake?” Nicky asked, switching the conversation back to common, and smiled like nothing had even happened. It was infuriating.

Neil directed his attention to Kevin instead, speaking the one language he knew they both would understand, while the others couldn’t – Tevene, the language of Tevinter.

“Stay out of my things.”

“No.” Kevin responded in the same language. Neil gritted his teeth.

“You touch them again and I’ll make you regret it.”

“What could a frightened rabbit like you do?”

“Better a rabbit than a cripple.”

Before Neil could fully react, Kevin was lunging across the room at him. Neil managed to evade his first lunge and barely escaped outside into the hallway when Kevin grabbed him and slammed him hard against the wall. Kevin wrapped his fingers around his neck and Neil was forced to put all effort to relieve the pressure before Kevin could crush his throat. Neil’s ears were ringing; he wouldn’t last much longer like this.

“Don’t you dare call me that.” Kevin’s eyes were fire, but Neil saw them flicker when a commotion on the stairs notified them of the other Foxes making their way up.

Neil took the opportunity and landed a solid kick to Kevin’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Kevin dropped Neil as he took a step back, regaining his composure. Before he could lung again, Dan rounded the stairs and all fighting ceased.

“What is going on here?” Dan demanded, eyes flickering between Kevin and Neil. “Kevin explain.” Neil looked up as coughs wracked his body.  Kevin was still in front of him, and he could see Nicky and Aaron watching from the doorframe. Andrew was besides Kevin, watching with glee.

Kevin didn’t answer Dan; instead he shot Neil another icy glare, before he reentered the room. The door slammed behind him. Andrew stayed in the hall, no doubt curious how this would play out.

Dan started after him, but Matt caught her arm. He looked like he was about to say something when Neil interrupted him.

“There’s nothing to explain,” Neil said. “Just a difference of opinions. Nothing big.”

“We’re getting along splendidly,” Andrew said, surprising Neil. “Neil even agreed to have dinner with us tomorrow.”

“Oh did he?” Dan drawled, obviously skeptical.

“I did. They volunteered to show me around town.” Neil gritted out; somehow he was always playing into Andrew’s hands. From the look on Dan’s face, he knew she didn’t buy it for a second.

“Fine,” Dan sighed and turned to leave, “We’ll be downstairs if you need anything Neil.”

He nodded and watched them descend. The worried glance Matt sent him almost made him feel guilty.

“Well isn’t this exciting. Can’t wait for tomorrow.” Andrew said, and gave Neil his two-fingered salute as he reentered his room. “Don run off, okay?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Neil responded. He was going to cling to the Foxes with his last remaining breath.

 

 

* * *

 

Neil didn’t sleep well that night. When he closed his eyes he dreamed of hands wrapped around his throat, and the chilling smile of his father, laughing as he suffocated. It was well before dawn when he decided enough was enough, got up, and went for an early run. By the time he’d returned and washed up, the first signs of life were starting to appear in the Foxhole Court.

Wymack hadn’t been joking about the hunting the previous night – Renee and Neil were to head out as soon as possible.

After breakfast, they geared up quickly - Neil donned the armor he had used the previous day after the others had finished, and headed out. Dan and Matt were to accompany them, to guard the cart from animals or potential bandits, while Renee and Neil were tracking prey. Neil was glad they were coming, as he was still uneasy about Renee.

The hunting grounds were close, only a few miles from Palmetto. Neil and Renee immediately split up, it hadn’t been a conscious decision, but they worked efficiently by themselves, and it was barely mid-day and the cart was near full of nugs and halla. If Dan and Matt looked progressively more flushed every time he dropped off some game, Neil didn’t say anything.

Neil was enjoying himself. The simplicity of the hunt cleared his thoughts. Stalking wildlife was second nature to him at this point; it was easy to slip between trees and shadows and lose himself.

A branch to Neil’s left snapped, startling him. Neil turned, a dagger poised and ready, to find Renee with a small smile forming on her lips.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Renee said, “It was difficult tracking you.”

“It’s fine. Did you need anything?” Neil felt he was being blunt. Thankfully, Renee didn’t seem to mind.

“Yes, I found a bear. Could you help me take it down?”

Neil nodded. He doubted she needed help slaying the beast; she’d been hauling just as many animals to the cart, if not more. Carrying the bear back to the cart was a different story.

 “More the merrier, right?” Renee smiled and began to lead the way. The bear wasn’t far, and they’d only traveled a short distance before Renee halted, and motioned for Neil to crouch with her behind one of the rocks.

“There it is.” She whispered. “I think you should go in first – you’re a little faster than me.”

“I can cut the tendons; immobilize it for you to strike.” It felt bizarre discussing strategy with Renee.

Renee hummed. “Then I’ll aim for the neck – quick and easy. Ready?”

“Ready.”

Neil made no sound as he slipped into the shadows and crept towards the bear. When he was within striking distance, he lunged and performed a flank attack – slashing both the bear’s hind legs. The bear roared and tried to swipe at Neil. He easily evaded and took out the remaining limbs with a quick double strike. Then Renee appeared beside him and sliced the bear’s neck in a single fluid movement. The bear slumped to the ground with a splash of blood.

Neil caught Renee’s face in that moment, it was hard and cold. He felt his instincts screaming to put distance between them, but the feeling quickly vanished. She was donning her usual, soft demeanor when she spoke.

“Now you can help me carry this.” 

 

The walk back to the caravan was difficult. Neil had never physically carried a bear before – back in Millport he always cleaned the beast where he caught it, or took trips, slicing off the meat in large chunks. By the way Renee was struggling, Neil assumed it was the same for her.

They were almost back to the cart when Renee stopped and turned to meet Neil’s eyes.

“Neil, you know you can trust us, right?”

“I-“ Neil couldn’t finish the lie. He couldn’t trust them, could never trust anyone. He meant to stop then, but what came out was: “Why does Kevin trust Andrew?”

Renee smiled. “Because he knows he can.”

Before he could press, shouting came from the direction of the chart, and they turned to see Matt and Dan heading their way, whopping and hollering. When they reached them, Dan pulled Renee and him into a hug and Neil could feel Matt ruffling his hair.

It was strange, yet… nice.

Neil still didn’t understand Kevin, how he could risk it all on Andrew, but maybe, if he stuck around the Foxes, that could change.

 

* * *

 

It took Neil and Renee the remainder of the day to clean and skin the animals. The sun was near setting when they finally finished prepping the meat. All that remained was putting the meat over a low fire and allowing it to dry – a process that would most likely take up the next week.

Renee seemed impressed by their progress, and Neil found himself basking in the same sense of achievement. It almost made him not mind all the blood as he washed up.

“Well, someone’s gonna have to clean up before going out tonight.” Neil looked up to see Nicky waiting at the doorway with a black cloth pouch.

Neil stared at him. “What?”

“You didn’t forget about dinner did you? Damn Neil, it’s only been a day.” Nicky laughed and walked over to Neil, placing the pouch in his blood dried hands. “Here. This is for you. Andrew said we couldn’t be seen with you looking like a raggedy hobo and all - no offense.”

 “Also, I suggest dropping the charm for tonight.” Nicky’s voice was almost soft when he addressed Neil.

Neil’s stomach roiled. Andrew had told them.

“Shut up.”

“Please. Andrew doesn’t like it, and come on - no one’s going to see you but us tonight. Drop the charm.”

“Or what?” Neil asked.

Nicky was silent for a moment, studying Neil. “Just get washed and don’t get any blood on the clothes. We’re leaving at dark.” He turned and left.

Neil made sure Nicky was gone before he finished washing up. He made sure all traces of blood was gone before he started getting changed. Neil wasn’t sure what the make of the clothes – a pair of weaved black leggings that left his soles exposed like his armor, and a tight black tunic. There was a pair of black leather gauntlets that appeared more stylish than purposeful in the bag as well, and Neil carefully strapped them around his arms. The clothes were thin; there was nowhere to hide a knife and he was sure he could feel his scars through the fabric.

His stomach churned at the idea of being near defenseless for the night. It churned more when he tapped the side of his head with a flourish, dispelling the charm. Neil watched in the mirror as his tattoos colored his face, and his brown eyes brightened to a cool blue. Now he was defenseless and exposed. Neil wanted to brush off Nicky’s warning - he didn’t care what Andrew thought and he had full confidence he could take the dwarf, weapons or not. It was the rest of his group he worried about. If Neil wanted to stay he had to make nice and that meant appeasing Andrew.

Neil hated it.

He promptly left the bathing area, and found Andrew’s group waiting for him in the main room, all dressed in black as well. A quick glance and Neil noticed Andrew was still wearing gauntlets. Unlike Neil’s, they were real ones that covered the entire forearm and could easily hide a few knives. He was the only one of the group who appeared to be armed, but Neil knew looks could be deceiving.

Andrew was staring at Neil’s face, and his lips quirked when their eyes met.

“Time to go.” Andrew said, as he gave Neil a slow once-over. 

 

Eden’s Twilight was a tavern across town and part of the less friendly section of the city. It wasn’t far, so Nicky lead them the way on foot, gushing about Neil’s tattoos and _baby blues._ When the remarks became more sexual in nature, Andrew efficiently shut him up. Neil would have been thankful, if it wasn’t Andrew who had done it.

Andrew appeared to be sober the night, though Neil wasn’t sure how long he would last without the calming potions – Neil had heard how easily it was to become addicted. He wondered how long before the blonde started to face withdraw.

Neil didn’t get to find out before they reached the tavern.

Eden’s Twilight was significantly nicer than most taverns’ Neil had seen, with two floors dedicated purely to drinking and dancing, and group of Bard’s who filled the building with an energetic beat. It took some searching for the group to find a table. As soon as they were set, Andrew snagged Neil towards the bar.

The bartender seemed to recognize Andrew. He flashed a smile at the blonde, and immediately made his way to them.

“Who’s your newest victim?” He asked, watching Neil with a curious look.

“A nobody,” Andre said “It’s the usual for us.”

“You?” It took Neil a second to realize the bartender was speaking to him.

“I don’t drink.”

“Water than,” the man hummed, and quickly filled eight pints of ale. He placed Neil’s stein of water besides them.  Andrew nodded his thanks to the bartender and carried the pints back to the table as Neil followed with his water.

Once they reached the table, Nicky let out a loud “Cheers!” and they all but inhaled their drinks. Neil wasn’t sure if Kevin even breathed between chugging his two pints.

Neil brought his own drink to his lips and took a sip - the water was sweeter than expected and left a dry feeling at the back of his throat. Something wasn’t right. Before he could place the cup down, Andrew lunged for him, grabbing the cup and forcing the drink down his throat. Neil tried to resist, but Andrew gripped Neil’s hair, locking him in place.

Andrew tightened his hold on Neil’s hair, as he slipped out of his stool and stared Neil directly in the face.

“Almost there. Give it a minute and then it’ll get you. In the meantime, why don’t you have a little fun?”

“Fuck you.” Neil gritted out.

Andrew disappeared from his sight, and Neil could feel his head whirling as two new hands grabbed him from behind. He tried to escape to no avail and was hauled through the Tavern crowd by Nicky and Aaron. Neil’s vision was tunneling, and the music had taken a sinister turn in his ears. He could feel himself losing control, his father’s power rising from beneath his skin.

Neil was released and would’ve crumpled to the floor, if Nicky hadn’t caught him again. He could barely focus on Nicky’s face; it was moving too quickly towards Neil’s own. Suddenly Nicky’s lips were on his, and Neil felt his tongue unfurling in his mouth, releasing more of the sickly sweet drug.

“Stop fighting if you want to survive.” Nicky whispered and Neil could feel his hot breath on his lips. He pushed Nicky, twisting out of his grasp, and staggered away, barely catching himself on a stranger to gather his balance. A quick glance behind him, and Neil saw nothing but blurred, dancing bodies. Neil kept staggering through the crowd, using his remaining sense to put as much distance between him and the others. He could feel the drugs eating away at his control. The smell of sweat and blood around him, jostling from side to side, was becoming too much. Neil was slipping; he had to make it outside before it was too late.

A sudden weight on his back grabbed him shirt collar, and Neil couldn’t control his limbs to fight back as he was hauled away. He was brought to an alleyway, nestled behind the tavern, and thrown against the wall. A strong arm was holding him up, and Neil recognized Andrew’s face through the haze. He felt the sharp tip of a dagger held at his neck.

 “Such ingratitude.” Andrew drawled. “I thought we were having a good time.”

“I’ll kill you.”

“Is that the truth? Or another lie?” Andrew asked. Neil knew when he was being mocked and spat in Andrew’s face.

“Mind your own business, and leave me alone.”

“Tonight is mind Neil’s Business Night. Didn’t you notice?” Andrew pressed him harder into the wall. “A conspiracy of Ravens are coming, yet you’re already here - a rabbit far too good with a blade, with a bag full of money, and a hard-on for everything Kevin and Riko. You understand my suspicions? Give me something real or I won’t let you stay.”

 “I’m not a Tevinter spy.” Neil understood, but he was furious and unraveling at the seams; his vision quickly filling with red.

“Not good enough. You shouldn’t be trying my patience right now.” Andrew said, and brought the blade closer to Neil, pressing against his skin until it pierced. Neil could feel the blood well up around the blade’s tip; he felt it rapidly flow down his neck, and then everything shattered.

Neil lost control.

The power running through his veins overwhelmed him. He reached for Andrew with a primal rage, throwing him to the ground, and used his thirst to ensnare Andrew’s blood.

Dwarf blood was still blood in the end, magic resistant of not, and Neil made Andrew’s blood boil within his veins.

He watched in sick satisfaction as Andrew twitched on the ground, clawing at his own throat and grasping for breath. He stepped closer, and watched Andrew grab his knife in desperation and swipe at him. Neil watched Andrew’s eyes widen when he caught the blade, letting it pierce through his palm.

 The knife clattered to the ground, and Neil felt the torrent of power from his newly spilled blood. He used it to fully engulf Andrew’s mind and watched the life drain from his eyes.

Neil froze.

Reflected in Andrew’s dark eyes, he saw a smile curved across his lips, a sick ghastly expression. It was his father’s smile.

Neil dug his fingernails into his mouth, trying to claw the look off his face. He felt himself struggling, losing himself to the magic. He redirected the power back at himself and heard himself scream before everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried mysteriously mentioning Neil's other talents/power throughout the previous chapters. I hope it came across!  
> Sorry if things seemed rushed. Trying to get to epic epic fantasy shit, which currently seems to be starting at the end of chapter 5 and chapter 6.


	5. Mission Statement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight info dumb, but I believe I see a shimmer of the plot on the horizon.  
> Again I don't have a beta so if you see any mistakes please say! I try to catch them all but blah.

Andrew had never seen blood magic before.

He had heard of it – a dark art that converted life force into energy for violent and corrupting purposes. It was a double edged sword, the sacrifice of blood for the control of the mind and body of their enemies. Strong blood mages could control the blood itself and weaponize it.

There was a reason blood magic was expressly forbidden across the realm; the more powerful the blood, and the more violent the pain, the stronger the spells.

And there was Neil, a blood mage, able to draw Andrew helpless with a scratch. He was too dangerous to let live. Andrew should have slit his throat then and there - yet he didn’t. Andrew had seen the darkness of Neil’s eyes, the way he clawed at his own face – Andrew knew that sense of emptiness, the sense of hating everything you were.

Neil was every inch a lie. He had most of the team convinced he was simply another tragic, lowborn elf, ostracized by society. Renee had known better the second she had eyed the bear pelt. So did Andrew. Neil was an abomination, just like them.

He wasn’t sure what Neil had done to himself. Andrew had felt his life leaving him and then suddenly it had been returned two-fold. He had never known of blood magic to benefit anyone but the castor, but there Andrew was, brimming with more energy than he had ever in his life, with an unconscious and bleeding elf beside him. It didn’t match up.

Andrew had been willing to kill Neil that night. For whatever reason, Neil wasn’t willing to kill him.

He reached down, hauling Neil over his shoulders, and reentered the bar to grab the others. He would still get his answers and if he liked them, maybe he’d let Neil live.

They were going to Wymack’s.

 

* * *

 

 

Neil woke in an unfamiliar room and felt like he was dying – his mind was hazy, like he was processing everything through a fog, and his limbs were dead at his sides. He attempted to right himself from the padded bench, and fell back down, a stab of pain shooting up his arm. He lazily regarded the source of the pain; his hand was bandaged sloppily, blood leaking through the gauze. He recognized it as a stab wound.

The events of the night slammed him awake, and Neil shot up from the bench, ignoring his body’s protests. He could still feel the magic buzzing through his veins, threatening to unleash.

“So you’re finally awake.” Neil turned towards the voice, and was surprised to see Wymack sitting at a small table, going over paperwork with a bored, yet practiced hand. “You’ve been asleep for a day. Don’t know what Andrew did to you, but the others have been furious.”

Neil stared at Wymack, mulling over what he’d said. If the others were furious for his sake, that meant Andrew hadn’t shared what he knew. He didn’t understand Andrew’s motives, but he knew the security wouldn’t last. He needed to solve this.

“Where’s Andrew?” He croaked, throat try from lack of use.

Wymack fixed him with a cool look, and practically shoved a glass of water into Neil’s hands. He sipped to test it, before downing  the whole glass. It was normal, not sweet like the club’s and his entire body was grateful for it.

“You’re a sopping mess.” Wymack sighed. Neil noticed the Captain looked tired, like he’d missed a few days of sleep. “Andrew dropped you off a few nights ago. He was here till yesterday until I kicked him out - seemed intent on watching you till you woke.”

Neil nodded and focused on the empty glass. The only clear memory he had of that night was Andrew’s accusations and Neil’s own face, reflected in Andrew’s eyes. The rest was a blur. He had to give Andrew some sort of answer – something that would let him stay, but he wasn’t sure if there was anything he could tell the dwarf that could convince him to harbor a blood mage.

For the first time in Neil’s life, the only option available to him was to tell the truth, or at least, as much truth as he could manage. Even the idea of a half-truth made his blood run cold.

When he was done deciding on what information he would give Andrew, Neil looked up, and found that Wymack was staring at him. “I don’t know what’s up between you two, or even what’s up with” Wymack motioned at Neil’s face and Neil flinched; he’d forgotten his charm was down. “but you should’ve told us. None of us would’ve let them take you out that night if you hadn’t wanted to.”

Wymack’s was speaking honestly and Neil didn’t know what to do with that information, could hardly believe it was offered. Wymack seemed to sense that. The older man stalked across the room with a scoff.

 “Don’t go anywhere.” He jabbed a finger at Neil, and slammed the door behind him.

Neil took the moment of privacy to access his wounded hand, and unwrapped the bandage. Most of the wound had healed during the fight; Neil had used Andrew’s life force to stitch back the muscle and tissue, but the sudden reverse of his magic left it inflamed and bleeding. It would take a few days before he could comfortably hold a dagger, and due to the blood magic, no healing spells could help him. He could deal with it though, and Neil was glad it only consisted of cosmetic damage. With his remaining time, he went over his story for Andrew in his head.

He didn’t have long to wait before the door swung open, and a small angry blonde barged through. Wymack was close behind him.

Andrew stood in the middle of the room and immediately started towards Neil. Judging by the impatient expression, he was sober.

“Have a nice nap?” He drawled, stopping a pace in front of Neil.

“Fuck you.” Neil spat back.

Wymack snapped his fingers. “None of this. I don’t know what the beef between you two is, but it ends here and now.”

“Captain, I need to talk to Andrew, alone.” Neil spoke first, surprising Andrew enough to receive a curious eyebrow. He wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.

“No,” Wymack said. “I don’t trust you two not to kill each other. We’re all staying right here until you can have a civil conversation.”

Neil met Andrews eyes and couldn’t read anything in his facial features. Andrew didn’t care if Wymack overheard everything, but Neil could only handle telling some semblance of the truth to one person. He switched to Orlean.

“Why can’t you just leave me alone?” Neil asked. “I already told you I’m not a spy, you just didn’t like my answer.”

It took a moment before Andrew answered.

“And imagine how much I dislike it now, after that display of yours,” Andrew paused, “Give me something solid, and maybe I’ll let you live.”

“Not good enough.” Neil bit back, “You have to let me stay.”

Andrew’s lips rose in a snarl, Neil knew he was being reckless with his demand. “Depends on what you give me. I’ll start easy. Where are you really from?”

“Tevinter, I was born a slave there. I served the Moriyamas – the main family.” The easy release of the truth gave Neil chills, but he had what he wanted. He had gained Andrew’s undivided attention and could hear the sneer in his voice as he spoke.

 “As a blood mage or an assassin?”

 “In Tevinter, if all you can do is fluff pillows, you don’t survive. It’s not uncommon for the masters to train slaves as more than just sacrifices. When they discovered how strong my blood was, it was natural that they took and trained me, like my father before me.”

Nothing Neil had said so far was a lie, it was vague, but true. His family was slaves under the Moriyamas, though their actual status was more akin to nobles. His father was their prize possession, and the Lord considered him a near equal, an honor few others received. While Lord Kengo controlled the country from his political position, his father ensured its rule from the underground with his own group of mages and assassins, all deadly loyal to him. The Butcher, they called him, able to cut down any foe that threatened the magistrates.

His father was the one who had taught him blood magic, and his assistant, Lola, was the one who cut him every time he made a mistake. She wasn’t a mage, but she was deadly in her own right.

“That’s how I met Kevin and Riko. The branch family would partake in the rituals, from time to time. I had been excited, first time seeing children my age – I hadn’t realized I’d be dismembering a dozen people in front of them.”

Neil remembered that meeting with perfect clarity; it was the day he was supposed to join the Raven’s, to prove to the Lord he was worthy. To do so, he had to open a rift to the Fade, the peripheral plane of existence that all other disciplines of magi pull their magic from, and where demons thrive. It was something his father couldn’t even accomplish.

He had succeeded. It was a small rift, a green crackling splinter in the room, powered by the dead and Neil’s own blood. It was only open a few seconds, but Neil could see the demons, clawing their way through the rift and hear the blood curdling screams they made when he forced it shut.

Neil remembered how empty inside it had made him feel.

“Kevin doesn’t recognize me; I doubt he would outside the context of my magic.” Neil could barely control his voice. He was shaking all over and he felt he was going to be sick.

A loud crash before him snapped him out of his mind. He looked at the source of noise and saw a rock crusher, imbedded in the ground, _Andrew’s rock crusher_. He raised his eyes to the dwarf, and found him leveling Neil with an intense expression.

“You’ve mentioned your mother. What of her?”

“Dead.” Neil’s voice still shook, but he was regaining control. “She didn’t approve of how the magistrates used blood magic, how it was consuming my father.  He was becoming over confident, thought he could take on the masters. He failed and was executed on the spot. My mother, she took the opportunity he gave us, and we ran. She escaped long enough for her to give me these and train me in her trade,” Neil tapped the side of his face, tracing his tattoos. “They caught her within the year. I’ve been running ever since.”

He lied about his father, but was truthful about his mother – it had been a year since he burned her body.

“What was a Dalish assassin doing in Tevinter?”

Neil paused. He knew little about his mother, she would never speak of the past to him. He didn’t even know her brother’s name; he was just an encoded page in the journal. “I don’t know, she would never say.”

Andrew‘s gaze was unfaltering.

 “Whose blood was that in the journal?”

“My own,” News Kevin had joined the Foxes had begun to travel, that Kevin had gotten a second chance at living. Neil had been alone, for the first time in his life. “It’s a reminder, of what I am and always will be and what I can never have because of that.”

Neil could never be a proper Fox; not if they knew the truth about him. He raised a hand to his lips, and could feel a smile snaking across them; his father’s smile.

“Then why come here?”

“I’m tired,” Neil said and even to him, he sounded defeated. “Kevin’s all I have left of my past. He knows what it’s like to hate every aspect of your life, to wake up in the horrors of Tevinter every day. He’s lost everything, yet here he is, _living_. I wanted to live for once, but now Tevinter is coming and there’s nowhere else to go.” Neil could feel himself shaking again and his hands shifted on his face, trying to claw his father’s smile away. “I always was and will be nothing.”

Andrew wasn’t smiling back, his expression a grim line in comparison to the usual maniac glee Neil had become accustomed to.

Andrew asked “Half your problems would disappear with me. Why am I still here?”

“I refuse to be like them, to let it consume me. I may have blood magic, but I won’t let it define me.” Neil said and met Andrew’s eyes. “It’s too late for me, I don’t think I ever had a chance, but Kevin still does because of you. If one of us is going to survive, it’ll be him.”

The truth felt raw on Neil’s throat. There was no deception of lie in what he had just told Andrew, and he could feel the resolve of it wash over him. There was no way he could walk out of the coming month alive, running or not, but Kevin could. For once, he didn’t feel the sharp pulse of power in his veins, threatening to uncurl at any second. Instead he felt a dull hum, accessible but dormant; it felt like peace.

Andrew moved towards Neil, and lowered the hands that had been clawing at his lips. His gaze was intense, as if he were categorizing every aspect of Neil’s being; empty and dark and swallowing him whole.

“Let me stay. I don’t want to give this up.”

Andrew’s vision flickered on Neil’s face one last time, before shifting back to stony indifference. “Keep it if you can. We both know it won’t last.”

He stood and turned from Neil without so much as a glance.

“We’re going,” Andrew switched back to English, pausing his step to give Neil the time he needed to realize the “we” included him. Neil stood with a shaky breath. Relief was a new sensation to him, and it made his legs feel like jelly as he followed Andrew.

“Thank You.” Neil said with a small bow to Wymack, “Everything’s fine now.”

“Not sure we have the same definition of fine, kid.” Wymack grumbled, but made no attempt to stop them from leaving. 

 

* * *

 

 

Wymack’s residence was in one of the less populated parts of the town, and Neil noted he had passed the building multiple times on his morning run.  Its close proximity to the Foxhole Court made their walk brief. Andrew made no attempt to speak, which Neil was grateful for.  He had just revealed more about himself than he had to anyone before him. He was done talking.

 Before Neil knew it, they had arrived at the Court. Andrew opened the door, and Neil shuffled in behind him. From the main room, it looked deserted, but Neil could hear the filtering of noises coming from above. Andrew made his way to the stairs. They had just reached the hall when Neil stopped him.

“Are you going to tell Kevin?” Neil asked. Andrew had reached his room’s door and fixed Neil with a bored look.

“Don’t ask stupid question.” He replied and disappeared into the room, slamming the door behind him.

Neil released a long breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Relief was swelling in him as he made it to his own room, and hope felt odd in his chest. He could stay. Neil knew his days were numbered, but for once he felt he could actually live.  He was a Fox.

He opened his own door and surprised to find the older Foxes congregated around the table.  Cards were scattered in every direction and bottles clustered the floor. Allison, Renee and Dan were seated and Neil noted several more open drinks littering the table surface. They were cheering on Seth and Matt, who were in a battle of sorts. By the choke hold Matt had Seth in, it was obvious Seth was losing badly

As soon as they registered the door opening, Matt dropped Seth and smiled at Neil.

“Neil! You’re alright” Matt had stood and was approaching Neil with outstretched arms. Neil vaguely thought he was about to be crushed before Dan came to his aid, slipping in front of her Matt, stopping him in his tracks.

“Are you okay?” She asked, her gaze flitting between curiosity and concern. Neil realized she was studying his tattoos, and stiffened. He hadn’t reapplied his charm, it hadn’t seemed worth it considering Andrew’s lot and Wymack already knew. Not even those searching for him knew of them.

That didn’t stop him from feeling exposed.

“I’m fine.” Neil said, and turned from Dan’s gaze. He sensed that wouldn’t be enough to appease her, but Renee changed the topic before Dan could press.

“We’re between rounds in our game. You should join us.” Renee offered from the side with a small smile. Neil was grateful and with the others persuasion he found himself seated around the table, cards in hand.

The older Foxes seemed to have formed some unspoken rule about his change in facial features, no one was bringing it up. Neil figured Wymack had warned them ahead of time. If Matt kept sneaking curious glances Neil’s way, he was none the wiser. Allison was the only one purposefully breaking the rule.

“Blue is definitely more your color,” She paused as she discarded half her hand, “And love the tattoos. Where’d you get them done?”

“Allison.” Renee shot Allison a warning look as she shuffled her own hand. Allison merely shrugged and turned back to Neil with a wink.

“What just curious. You look good kid.”

Muffled agreement came from the rest of the Foxes, with the exception of Seth, who glared at Neil and muttered something beneath his breath. Allison was quick to silence whatever he was saying with a sharp elbow.

Neil could feel a slight warmth spreading across his face. It was bizarre, not hiding or running. He could still hear his mother screaming at him, but it was barely an echo, reverberating in his head. For the first time, he felt at ease.

 

* * *

 

 

The following week was uneventful. Neil had constantly been on edge, expecting some sort of fall out. After a few days of nothing, he realized that Andrew would keep his word. Instead of worrying, Neil threw all his time and effort into the Foxes.

Renee had finished treating majority of the meat while Neil was unconscious at Wymack’s, but Neil helped her with the last few carcasses. All the provisions were done within a day and a second hunting trip was scheduled for the near future. That left the remainder of the week for training. Neil quickly learned that despite the Foxes notoriety, the individual members were formidable in their own right.

Matt was the first Neil faced of the older Foxes. The giant had suggested it over breakfast and Neil, curious and excited, had agreed in a heartbeat. Just as Matt’s build suggested, he was strong; if any of Matt’s attacks landed, Neil knew he was a goner, but Matt was also slow and it was easy for Neil to sidestep the wide sweeping broadsword attaches without sustaining any damage. Hitting him was the problem.  No matter how fast Neil was, Matt would brush it off like it was nothing. Even Neil’s most powerful flank strike barely caused him to stagger.

Neither could get the upper hand; Matt couldn’t hit Neil, and Neil’s attacks were useless on the Vashoth. They were at standstill. They would have continued that way all day had Dan not joined the fray and offered Neil some much needed backup.

Fighting besides Dan was like teaming up with lightning. She was quick on her feet and constantly alternated between attack and defense, interrupting Matt’s rhythm with shield blocks and causing detrimental blows with her cutlass. Together, the two of them quickly wore Matt down till he conceded defeat, though Neil suspected it had more to do with Matt not wanting to accidently impale Dan; the giant’s control of his strength was growing weaker as the fight progressed.

Neil faced Seth second and could only describe the man as a berserker. Seth’s sword-fighting was similar to Matt’s - large sweeping movements that gathered momentum to become a deadly attacked, but where Matt was a volcano, Seth was spitfire. He was weaker, but made up for with speed and unpredictable movements. Neil couldn’t read him, and found Seth’s longsword too close for comfort more than once. As the battle progressed, it became apparent that while Seth was a fire, he burned out quickly. All Neil had to do was stay on his toes and outlast Seth to win. When Neil took advantage of the opening Seth’s fatigue caused, it was game over - much to Seth’s anger.

Out of all the older Foxes, Allison surprised Neil the most. Wymack had warned him about her pin-point accuracy, but Neil wasn’t prepared to dodge arrows from the shadows. No matter where he hid, she could track him through the spyglass of her crossbow, which shot multiple arrows – _exploding arrows_. She was dangerous and innovative. Between the arrows and explosions, Neil couldn’t approach. It wasn’t until she ran out of arrows that Neil got within striking distance, and even then she blocked most of his attacks, swinging her crossbow like a club. They were stuck in constant cycle of evade and parry for what felt like hours before Neil landed a successful flank strike.

Renee cheered from the bench for each fight, and never took a side. Neil was glad. He didn’t need to face Renee to know she was dangerous; he remembered how she cut the bear’s throat with deadly accuracy.

The rest of their time was filled with the small missions Wymack gave them. With the older Foxes, Neil had taken care of the local bandits, and multiple so-called demon sightings, which turned out to be a wild pack of dogs. Through training and missions, Neil barely came across Andrew’s lot, and when they did meet, it was kept short and civil.

It wasn’t until the end of the week that Neil saw Kevin. Matt and Seth were playing cards at the table, and Neil was content watching them. Seth still wasn’t fond of Neil, but after his defeat in training he took to ignoring Neil for the most part.

A heavy-fisted pounding at the door interrupted their game. Neil was closest to the door and the first up. They were surprised to find Kevin on the other side. Seth swore at the sight of the newcomer, and Matt wore a distinct frown.

“You’re not welcome here.” Matt said, his voice lower than Neil had ever heard it. A small shiver rn through him; he’d forgotten a gentle giant was still a giant.

Kevin didn’t bat an eye, instead focusing all his attention on Neil. “Let’s go.”

Neil hesitated. He didn’t know what Kevin was suggesting, but he could hear the shuffling of chairs behind him. If he didn’t make a choice, it would be made for him by his roommates. Neil knew he would regret not following.

“I’ll be back later,” Neil said over his shoulder.

“Are you stupid?” Seth asked. Matt gaze casted suspicion besides him.

“Yes,” Neil said “Goodnight.” He moved into the hall and closed the door behind him, before either of his roommates could follow. Kevin was already heading down the hall and Neil had to make a quick jog to catch up. Neil followed him down the stairs, and was surprised to find them heading to the training area.

Andrew was waiting for them on one of the benches that surrounded the room. By the lazy way his eyes flickered in their direction, Neil knew he was sober. For a man condemned to be on the potion, Neil had seen him actually on it very few times.  

Kevin was already sorting through weapons when Neil approached him. Kevin was delicately holding a gladius in his left hand, his injured hand. He held it up straight, as if he were ready to make an attack, but the sword clattered to the ground, out of Kevin’s grasp. Neil could see him clenching his fist, testing his shaking hand muscles.

They changed into armor in silence, and gathered their respective gear.  Kevin chose the same sword as before, this time held in his right hand. In his left was a medium sized disk shield.

Kevin hadn’t said a word to Neil since the doorway. He figured this was some weird training exercise; a final test to see if Neil was worthy to join the foxes. He wasn’t surprised when Kevin suddenly charged at him, thrusting his shield to knock him down. Neil evaded, but it left his balance compromised and defense open. Kevin took advantage, and swung his blade directly at Neil. Neil blocked with one of his daggers, and struggled to push the sword away – Kevin was much stronger than Neil expected. Despite fighting with his non-dominant hand, Kevin still had a level of skill beyond the average swordsman; Neil barely had enough time to block Kevin’s sword strikes with his dagger.

Neil needed to put some distance between them. Each of Kevin’s attacks seemed to be getting stronger and Neil knew he wouldn’t last in such a close-range fight. Neil made himself purposefully appear open and waited for Kevin to attack. Knowing where the blade would go allowed Neil to easily dodge. A quick kick send Kevin staggering back, giving the space Neil needed.

Kevin wasn’t fazed and reared for another charge. He swung at Neil with his shield, trying to off-balance him again. Neil side-stepped the attack, and aimed for the small opening in Kevin’s defense. He narrowly dodged the edge of the gladius, but was able to deliver a quick flank attack. Kevin spun to deliver an attack on Neil – a slash aimed for the middle of his chest. Neil stopped the blade with his daggers and twisted, dislodging the sword from Kevin’s hand.

Kevin tried to counter with the shield, but Neil was too quick; he slashed at the leather holding it in place, and let the metal disk clang to ground. Kevin was disarmed.

“You have too much free time if you’re practicing like this every night.” Neil said, as he watched Kevin slowly kneel down and pick up his fallen weapons.

Kevin was breathing at an accelerated rate. Their quick fight had left him winded and he could barely grip the sword in his left hand.

Neil realized his mistake too late. Kevin swiped at Neil, knocking both daggers from his hands. They clattered uselessly to the ground. Neil didn’t react, not even with a flinch. He was stunned by Kevin’s face. It was memorizing - desperate and hungry and threatening to swallow him whole.

There was a reason Kevin had been considered the strongest fighter of Tevinter and Neil recognized it now as he stared down the edge of Kevin’s sword. Kevin had just shown Neil his true strength, and how much he had fallen.

“What do you want from me?” Neil asked.

“I need to be strong again.” Kevin said and lowered the sword, switching it back to his right hand. His left hand was shaking again. “You’re going to help me.”

“Why not ask Andrew? Or anyone else really?” Neil asked, glancing at Andrew on the bench. He wasn’t even watching them.

“He won’t do it. You’re the only one left can.” Neil didn’t believe it; there was no way Kevin was talking about him. Kevin sighed impatiently and continued.

“I’ve seen you fight. Your style belongs to no land. There’s hints yes – of Orlain and Tevinter, like you’ve taken the best of each and made it your own.” Kevin clenched his hand into a fist.  “I can’t fight the same with my right as I did my left. As it is, I can barely beat a fledgling Raven. I need to do the same. I need you to show me how.”

Kevin feared the same thing Neil did; the Ravens were coming and he wasn’t strong enough. Kevin couldn’t rely on Raven teachings – the Raven’s trained for years to reach the level they’re at. Kevin had two months max and an injury that would never fully heal. Neil had heard the hidden message in Kevin’s words. He needed someone who could fight a Raven and win, someone that was both Tevinter and not. Neil didn’t know what Kevin’s plan was, but he knew who his targets were.

“I’ll do my best.”

“Best won’t be good enough.” Neil didn’t take offense; Kevin had aimed the jab at himself.

They spent the next hour sparring. It was different from their first match. Neil was on full attack. He tried to draw out every skill he had ever learned; they were all painful and deadly, carved into his bones as a child, or taught during his travels, but they made him untouchable. He slipped in and out of the shadows, attacking Kevin with a constant barrage. Ravens were trained to never lose sight of their foes, hidden or not, Kevin always met Neil’s daggers. Kevin was getting quicker, improving his own stances to meet Neil’s attacks. It was alarming how quickly he adapted, and Neil had to constantly switch styles to stay ahead. Neil could feel his heart pound with ever swing. He had never felt more alive.

Neil felt disappointed when they finally called it for the night, but fatigue kept him from pushing. They quickly changed out and washed up. Andrew didn’t say a word to either of them, and they ascended the stairs to the dorms in silence.

He hadn’t expected anyone to be awake besides them at this hour. The low glow of a candle proved Neil wrong as he entered his room. Matt sat at the table, reading through some old parchments. By the way he was rubbing his eyes, Neil could tell he was beyond tired.

“You alright?” He asked Neil, and put the papers aside.

“Yea, just training.” Neil replied, feeling unexpectedly guilty. Neil hadn’t expected Matt to stay up, to make sure he was okay. No one had done that for him before.

“You’re going to be dead at tomorrow’s meeting.” Matt joked, and began to shuffle towards his own bed. He slurred his goodnights, and was asleep the second his head hit the mattress. Neil changed and did the same. A bed had never felt so nice before.

Neil was naturally an early riser, but that morning he wanted nothing more than to bury himself in furs and go back to bed. He doubted he would’ve found the strength to drag himself out of bed if not for Seth - the loudest human Neil had ever met. Even Matt seemed disgruntled at Seth’s wake-up routine and they both readied quickly in an effort to escape the chaos.

Downstairs Neil sat beside Matt, taking up the same spot at the table as last time. They were first ones down, and watched the other Foxes slowly trickle down. The girls were next, and Dan sat herself on Matt’s other side and greeted Neil, with Renee and Allison besides her. Seth eventually showed, and, sat himself besides Allison. She snorted at him, but quickly joined his not-so-innocent banter.

Over the last week Neil had quickly learned there was something between those two that often gravitated from extreme hate to love. Either way they were extremely passionate.

Andrew’s lot trailed down the stairs last. Neil was expecting a repeat of the last meeting, an obvious divide at the table, and was surprised to find the seat beside him filled. Kevin sat down with Andrew and the rest following suite next to him. He offered Neil a short nod as a greeting and Neil returned it, despite feeling stunned.

Silence emitted from his other side and Neil knew the upperclassman were just as shocked. A light tap on the back of his head had him leaning towards Dan. She was gaping at him and making motions with her arms Neil had no hope of deciphering. Neil just shrugged in return.  

Dan obviously wanted to press him for more, but was interrupting by Wymack, slamming open his office door. His arms were loaded with papers that he dropped onto the table and began to hastily unfurl. A large map soon covered the table’s wood surface.

Wymack leveled them all with a stare before starting. He took a noticeable pause at Kevin’s seating arrangement.

“All right maggots. New missions tomorrow, which means I’m assigning the parties. Now I had some concern, but seems it was unwarranted.” Wymack shot a quick glance at Neil. Something about the look suggested he was trying to sort some puzzle.

“Neil you’re accompanying Kevin, Andrew, Aaron and Nicky to Nevarra.“

The room grew oddly quiet. Neil had only been to Nevarra once. His mother and he had crossed through the land on their way to Orlais. They hadn’t stayed long and never returned; it was too close to Tevinter for his mother's comfort. They never spent much time in any land that shared a border with Tevinter.

Nevarra was supposed to be a land of enormous wealth and power. Neil had only experienced dark and fear there.

“No thank you.” Neil said.

“I vetoed your choice on the matter,” Wymack said, “Kathy Ferdinand, has requested the Foxes aid.”

“Wait Kathy? Like _the_ Queen Kathy Ferdinand?” Matt spoke quickl.

 “That’s the one.  Apparently Ferdinand’s worked with Kevin before and was left very satisfied. She specifically requested you.” Wymack looked at Kevin and waited for response. Kevin had been a Raven then. He was giving Kevin the opportunity to back out.

Slowly Kevin nodded back, the picture of perfect calm, though Neil could see his fingers gripping the chair.

“What will we be doing?” Kevin asked.

“Not sure, the report was vague. I only know it involves subterfuge, which is where Neil comes in.”

“Don’t you trust us Captain?” Andrew spoke out. Neil didn’t have to be looking at him to know he was grinning.

“Not for a second. This is an incredible opportunity and I’d like to build some bridges, not burn them.” Wymack leveled them all with another stare. “Questions, comments, conerns? No? Then get packing. We’ll finish debriefing before you depart tomorrow morning.”

“But Captain, Neil –“ Dan started.

“Can handle himself.” Wymack finished for her, “You lot have your own Mission. Neil, Kevin, Andrew, Aaron and Nicky – you’re dismissed.”

They emptied in seconds. Neil was last to leave and he didn’t miss the worried glances the older Foxes sent his way. He wasn’t worried about Andrew or Kevin; whatever truce they had seemed to be lasting. It was Nevarra that was causing his anxiety to spike. He hadn’t been that close to Tevinter, to his father, in years.

He didn’t have anything to prepare for the journey, everything was already packed. Instead he went for a run, and let the sensation of freedom bury all his worries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the explanation spam and book rewrites, but actual plot and mission next chapter!


	6. Tread Lightly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This chapter was very close to being named ENTER RIKO)  
> Sorry this took so long. Midterms got me but eyyy spring break soon so next chapter shouldn't be as long. I apologize if the beginning of the chapter seems a little odd? Did my best.  
> Like always I don't have a Beta so if you see any mistakes please tell me! Thank you!

“Take care of any darkspawn you cross along the way.” Wymack had told them. He had said it so casually, right before they had set off for Nevarra. No details, or information, just the small mention, that Neil was sure anyone else would have ignored.

Kevin, the stickler for orders, was not the type of man to ignore anything and Neil was beginning to resent that. Every whisper of Darkspawn that filtered through the air had them on a day long horse ride, and Neil’s fear of the creatures had subsided days ago. This was the third group they had to deal with. Now it was just an annoyance.

The Darkspawn weren’t powerful enemies, they moved and looked like humans corpses; slow and gaunt with little powering their attacks. A quick dagger strike, or a surprise flank and they were dead. Even the larger ogres fell easy beneath Andrew’s hammer. Their danger was their large numbers and the taint their blood carried. Neil knew the stories from his mother; men mixing blood with the darkspawn becoming something unhuman, _ghouls_ cursed to follow the creatures into the Deep Roads. This close to them, Neil could feel something nefarious in the spawns’ blood, a pounding that reverberated with the earth’s core.

They were lucky that had Aaron and Nicky’s wide range spells. Without them, they could’ve been easily over run and Neil didn’t want to imagine what would happen to them then.

 “Get Ready!” Nicky called out.  The earth began to shake under their weight, and Neil turned to watch the tunnel the Darkspawn’s had swarmed out of crumble as large chunks fell away. It was a near identical scene to the last two sightings they had taken care; a large tunnel that led deep underground, sealed with Nicky’s magic. The reverberating of the earth ceased, but Neil knew it wasn’t for long.

The last of the Darkspawn were easy to take care of and Aaron had taken to casting healing spells on them afterwards; quick enchantments created to drive away the Darkspawn taint. It always left Aaron drained, and Neil wondered why he never saw the mage take lyrium potions – a substance that was akin to pure magic. The Tevinter mages practically inhaled the stuff.

“We need to get moving,” Kevin said, as he dragged his sword out of a fallen foe. Neil could see his left hand shaking despite the shield. “It’s already noon and we’re two days behind schedule.”

“I wonder why that is.” Aaron snarked, but hauled towards the horses anyways.

In the last few day, Neil hadn’t spoken to anyone outside of Kevin. It was easy, Aaron and sober Andrew couldn’t care less about him, and every time Neil looked at Nicky the mage seemed to find something more fascinating for his attention. It would have been convincing if Neil couldn’t see the guilt in his eyes a mile away, but he didn’t mind. The silence was endearing, and he wasn’t about to forgive so quickly.

The silence unfortunately only lasted another day.

“You think he’s ever going to forgive us?” Nicky asked Aaron in Orlain. They were riding behind Neil, oblivious to the fact he understand their every word. Andrew had kept his promises.

“Does it matter?” Aaron said, “He’s not out problem.” Nicky’s deep sigh was barely audible over the hoof beats.

It wasn’t until they camped that evening that Nicky approached Neil himself. They had quickly set up shelter and Neil had caught them diner; some wildlife he had hauled back to camp. He was deep in its entrails when the mage approached.

 “Hey Neil, I wanted to apologize,” Nicky started, hesitant, “What I didn’t wasn’t cool, the entire night wasn’t cool and I -” His words seemed stuck in his throat.

Neil paused his cleaning. If he let Nicky continue this way, the group’s performance might suffer, and he didn’t want to consider what a permanently melancholy Nicky was like. He turned and scanned Nicky’s face. The longer Neil looked at him without speaking, the more ashen it got.

Nicky wouldn’t get Neil’s forgiveness, but he would get a conversation.

“Why hasn’t Andrew been taking his potion?” The question had been bugging Neil since Eden’s. He watched Nicky’s face go blank with surprise, and then reshape itself into gratitude. Nicky was smiling at him and Neil couldn’t understand why.

“You didn’t know? Wow thought Dan would’ve told you or something. It’s a deal he has with Wymack. When on missions, like when he’s not around people, he can be as unmediated as he likes.”

Neil nodded.

“What about Aaron and lyrium potions? It’d increase his mana regeneration.”

Nicky grimaced. “Touchy subject. Let’s just say he’s strictly no potions for the time being. Now let me tell you about -” Nicky took reign of the conversation after that and gabbed with Neil for the rest of the night. Neil hardly replied, but it didn’t faze Nicky ,who seemed to take his continued silence as permission to keep going.

Neil tuned him out half way through the night.

 

* * *

 

 

It was another day travel before they reached a port that could give them passage across the Waking Sea. It was thanks to Andrew and his indifference towards who he threatened, that they acquired passage at all. They had set out immediately.

Neil was wary. He’d always stayed away from crossing water. Too many things lurked in the deep, and it was too easy for everything to go wrong. He could swim, but not well and every wave set him on edge.  

“Neil, why the long face? I heard rabbits could swim.” Neil looked over to see Andrew. He had just taken his potion and Neil wanted to rip the smile off his face.

“And I heard dwarves sink.” Andrew laughed and Neil found it worse. It didn’t last long. Kevin barked something from the front and with a quick salute Neil was left alone.

He breathed a sigh of relief and steeled his nerves. The sea was narrow and they were almost there. He repeated his mantra until they spotted the coast line.

 

Nevarra was nothing like Neil remembered; distrustful glances, and darkness. He had been ten, they had just ran, and everything was terrifying. In daylight, the country reminded him of Ferelden. The people were friendly, full of smiles as they greeted them from the road and the sunlight felt warm on his skin. It brought an odd sensation to Neil’s chest.

They traveled to the capitol in relative silence. Nicky made the occasional comment about the landscape, or insistent on conversing with the locals, but never for long and they reached the city before sunset. The capitol was where Nevarra’s comparison to Fereldan ended. The structures here made the Foxhole Court look like a shack, and Neil could understand why the country was often compared to Orlais. The architecture reeked of wealth and resources.

The royal palace stood in the center of the city and its gates opened wide as they approached; they were expected. It was as grand as the rest of the city and secured by an ornate wall that wrapped around the entire perimeter.  Neil had difficulty spotting a weakness in the defense. The only break-in or out was scaling it; doable, but put one at risk for arrows.

Queen Ferdinand stood at the top of stairs, in the entrance of the palace. As they approached, Neil could see the unnatural way the sun reflected off her skin, giving her a permanent sun-kissed glow – the tell-tale sign of enhancement charms. Kevin was already wearing a fake smile for the Queen, and Neil wondered if the entire mission would be laced in deception.

They stopped as a group a few feet before the queen, and Kevin, Nicky and Aaron bowed in synch. Neil tried to mimic them, but knew he fumbled in his timing. He was still better than Andrew, who didn’t bother until Kevin elbowed him hard, and even then it was a mockery of the actual act. Neil noted the Queen’s pinched expression beneath the smile she beamed at Kevin.

“Kevin,” She reached her hand out to him, “It’s been so long. I’m so glad you could make it.”

“It’s good to see you again too,” Kevin replied with his best award winning smile, as he took her hand and kissed it.

“I’ve heard of the Foxes’ numerous feats, especially under your guidance.” The Queen spread her smile to Aaron and Nicky, careful not to focus on Andrew or Neil.

“They were already an incredible team, even before I joined. I’m lucky to be a member.” The Queen nodded and smiled at Kevin, but Neil could tell it didn’t meet her eyes. To her, the Foxes were beneath him.

“Well I believe we have some business to discuss. Follow me.” With a flourish of her hand, she turned and led them through the palace.

 

* * *

 

 

“I apologize for how vague my request was. The issue is my brother – he currently holds property that I believe is rightfully mine.” The queen had led them to an inner room of the castle, carefully placed away from prying ears. They were seated around a small table and each of them was perched on overstuffed chairs. The queen poured them all tea, something Neil found odd considering her status.

“Parden if this might sound rude,” Nicky said,” but you’re the queen, what could a little property matter?”

“It’s not the property that’s important – it’s the will my parents left after they died. My brother currently carries it and refuses to let me see. He’s using it as proof that he’s the true heir, and is quietly forming an opposition.”

The queen paused to sip her own tea. The cup was clattering against the saucer as she visibly shook, but not a drop was spilled.   

“I know without a doubt that I am their heir, and they left everything to me, but with no concrete proof, there will always be whispers. The property means nothing; it’s the will I need you to retrieve.”

She set the cup down and reached across the table, clasping Kevin’s hands in her own. “Kevin, I can’t believe you’re here right now. I understand you’ve been working without Riko, and without full strength. Is this too much to ask of you?”

“It’s never too much when it comes to you.” Kevin said with his fake smile. “And I’ve been working with my right hand now. It’s nothing the Foxes can’t handle.”

“Hmm, I imagine Riko and the Ravens must miss you.” The Queen said with a frown, but Neil could see excitement in her eyes.

“And I him, but I’m a Fox now and I plan to stay one as long as they’ll have me.” Kevin’s smile grew painfully large as he stood. “Now I believe we should get to work. We have preparations to make if we plan to strike soon.”

“Very well. I can’t begin to say how much I appreciate this. May the outcome benefit us both.” The Queen stood with them and waved them to leave. Kevin made a slight bow, followed by Aaron and Nicky. They left the room as a group.

Neil followed a half-a-step behind, instead focused on the Queen. She was watching them with a glaze over her eyes, and a satisfied smile, like she had gotten everything she had ever wanted. Neil felt a shiver run through his body as he turned and caught up with the others. It wasn’t long before they were out of the palace, and packing their supplies. 

Kevin was a shaking mess, barely able to stand by himself, let alone lead a stealth mission.

“Can you actually do this?” Neil asked.

Kevin didn’t grace him with a response.  

“He better be.” Andrew said and walked up besides Kevin, arms spread open in an image of peace. With a swift movement, he punched Kevin in the stomach, where the breastplate gave way for chain mail. The man collapsed onto his knees.

“Maker, Andrew.” Nicky cursed. Kevin sputtered on the ground, glaring at Andrew between ragged coughs. There was a fire in his eyes that Neil had thought extinguished. 

“And it’s a brand new Day!” Andrew cheered.

 

* * *

 

The manor wasn’t far from the castle. A quick horse ride brought them to their destination, with spare time to circle the perimeter. Despite the Queen’s warning of the property being heavily guarded, the entire grounds seemed deserted.

“Weird,” Nicky whispered besides Neil, “What’s the chance nobody’s home?”

Aaron tsked besides him.

“Stay Alert. Who knows how long we’ll have this window.” Kevin grappled at the manor’s wall before pulling back. A hidden latch was hidden in the seam of the wall; the secret entrance to the cellar the Queen had supplied them with. He pulled and a small hatch slid open. “Neil, you first.”

Neil nodded and descended into the darkness of the cellar. It took a moment for his dark vision to adjust. He followed the short brick tunnel into a larger room that appeared to be a wine cellar. From the dust build up it hadn’t been used in some time, and Neil had to cover his mouth to prevent himself from coughing. He quickly scanned the adjacent room, and found it in the same sorry state.

“It’s clear.” He whispered up the tunnel, and listened as his teammates sidled down the latch with as much stealth as possible, which wasn’t much. Neil kept his ears perked for guards, but like the grounds, the cellar seemed empty.

Neil waited for them to enter the room with him, and gave Kevin a nod. They’d discussed the plan on the short journey to the manor. In the event that there were no discernable guards they’d proceed as a group. If intercepted, Neil would slip away and complete the mission himself, while the others caused a distraction.

They proceeded slowly. Neil led the way, carefully treading on floorboards that didn’t give under their weight and made no sounds. For the most part, the other followed his steps, but with only the glows of Aaron and Nicky’s staff, mistakes were to be expected. Unlike the other, Andrew had no excuse. He made no attempt for stealth and his constant creaks made Neil grit his teeth. He knew Andrew had dark sight and could see fine, but that also meant Andrew knew what Neil did, that they were the only signs of life to be found.

They eventually made it to the cellar stairway and it was easy to discern streaks of light leaking out from upper floor. Neil went first, traveling up the stairs in seconds, and tried to door. It was barged. He quickly made work of the mechanism and opened it with a small shove. Light filled his vision and he was unsurprised to find no one in sight. He motioned for others to follow and entered the kitchen area. There were still pots and pans thrown about, and a few discarded bowls sat across the bench, remnants from the missing kitchen staff. Some of the chairs had been upturned, as in a haste to leave, but there were no signs of a shuffle.

“What do you think made them leave like that?” Nicky whispered.

“Something bad.” Aaron responded, and stepped forward, “ There’s a strange concentration of the. Somebody’s been performing magic.”

Neil couldn’t feel anything. His own connection to magic was with people, and their blood. He could sense when they were casting, and drawing upon the Fade, filling themselves with magic, but he couldn’t feel it himself. If the manor was magically fortified, he’d be blind to any of their traps.

Kevin cursed. “Neil, still lead the way but proceed carefully. Stick to the shadows. Andrew, you stay in front of the group. Block any spells from reaching us. Aaron, start preparing shield spells.”

They all nodded and got in formation. Andrew, no longer under the effects of the potion, betrayed no emotions, but was now treading lightly, which gave Neil an odd assurance. He slipped into the shadows and moved ahead, making sure the group remained in his line of sight as he edged his way into the hallway. They were heading to the study, a small room tucked into the corner of the second floor and the only place the Queen believed the Will would be kept.  It was accessibly through servant lifts from the first floor that only Neil was the right size to take.

They weren’t far from the location; a right turn, and a short jaunt down one of the hallways.  Neil had already made the turn and was waiting for the others to catchup.

“It’s getting thicker.” Aaron whispered to the group, and Neil glanced to see Nicky nod in agreement. Both looked pale.

Kevin motioned for them to stop. Neil couldn’t tell where the source was from, but his eyes were quickly adjusting to the dimer light of the interconnecting hallways. The hall across from him, located left from the group, seemed even darker, as if absorbing the light from around them. A closer look and Neil could see on the walls and floors were marked, scorched even, but not burned. He stepped closer, out into the main hallways with the others, and could make out a green crackle on the ceiling that Neil recognized. He had seen the same energy when he had opened a rift from the Fade.

“Demo-“ Neil managed to shout before a beam of ice hit him, throwing him into the wall and leaving his entire body covered in frost. He couldn’t move. A small hunched figure shuffled out of the darkness and an eerie blue light emitted from its hands. Andrew immediately took up his rockcrusher and leaped for the creature, but met nothing. With a twitch of its hand, the small demon casted a shield around itself, and floated out of the weapons reach.

It looked ready to cast again, opening its mouth wide to release another beam of ice when Andrew regained his balance and readied his weapon, piercing right through its shield. The creatures head rolled to the floor, and evaporated away in a cloud of black smoke.

Shield weren’t that easy to break, Neil had fought against them himself - most recently Aaron’s and that demon’s was just as sturdy. Dwarf blood was known to resist magic, but never full blown out repel it, like Andrew just had. Suddenly, it made sense why Kevin had made Andrew head the group down the hall, but whatever his ability, it hadn’t helped him against Neil.

“A Despair Demon” Nicky whispered, “I’d read about them –“ Nicky shook his head. His staff was shaking in his hands.

They didn’t have time to regroup. A second crackle shot out from the hall and a creature of liquid magma took form – Neil recognized it; a rage demon. The creature slithered out of the shadows and raised its body, forming two large arms. It brought one down in a sweeping motion against Andrew. He blocked with his shield, but it didn’t help. He was thrown down the hallway.

The demon creeped after Andrew. Nicky, shaken out of his stupor, casted a quick frost spell, but the patch of spiked ice melted off its fire frame.

Kevin readied his sword, and raised his shield. He was prepared to charge, but Neil was quicker. The frost had finally melted away, and he immediately slipped into the shadows, readying his daggers, and lunged into the back of the demon, piercing through its entire body. It wasn’t enough to kill it, but it was sauntered, giving Andrew the opportunity to deliver a devastating blow straight to the demon’s head. The fire that fueled it died, and it hardened into a rock before crumbling away into smoke like the other.

“What-“ Andrew began, when a blood-curtling scream stopped him; Terror Demons. Multiple shots of green light bursted from the hallway and seemed to disappear.

The look Andrew shot him finished his sentence for him. _What was that?_

“Someone must have opened a rift,” Andrew casted Neil a sharp look, “a portal from the Fade, demons can crawl out of them.”

Andrew readied his weapon in his hands and raised his shield.

“I suppose you’ve had experience with them?” He drawled, watching the dark hall for the first sign of the creatures’ movement.

“Only once.” It was the night he had met Riko and Kevin. He had hoped he’d never see one again. He couldn’t image who was stupid enough to open another.

A long clawed hand appeared from the hallway, attached to an elongated arm. The demon looked like a stretched, deformed human. Where there should be a face, there was at least a dozen beady eyes, arranged like a spider, and a large gapping mouth that was fused down to its chest. A tail with a deadly point swayed behind it. Its entire frame evoked terror.

With another screech, it lunged at Kevin.

Before Kevin could react, Andrew leaped forward with his shield, toppling the demon to its side. Instead of meeting the floor, it melting into the ground, and reappeared behind them, ready to attack. Aaron released a shield spell and the creature was thrown back, into Nicky’s waiting fire spell. It let out a last scream that was echoed by three more entering the hall, as the first terror demon dissolved into smoke.

One of the demons lunged for Neil and he met it with a dagger, plunging it deep between the eyes. He used his momentum to lodge his second dagger beneath its mouth, dragging a deep injury down its chest. The creature sputtered and threw Neil aside, where he unceremoniously met the ground. It leapt for him, and was met with one of Nicky’s lightning spell before dissolving like the others.

The shield Aaron had put up was holding strong, protecting the others, but Neil could see its cracking under the remaining two demon’s weight. Green energy was crackling throughout the room now, and Neil could barely evade them all, let alone offer help as a demon hoard formed around him.

“Neil.” Kevin shouted and Neil met his eyes. “Go retrieve the document. We’ll meet you on the second floor.” Kevin’s right arm was shaking, but his voice was strong.

The shield cracked under the demon’s onslaught, and Neil watched as Aaron grabbed for his bottled magic, and Nicky released an onslaught of prepared spells. A flurry of elements and magic formed before his eyes.

One of the demons escaped the blast and dislodged itself from the group, leaping towards Neil. He readied himself for attack, but it dissolved into smoke before it met him. Andrew stood in its place.

“Run, rabbit. I’m only giving you this one chance.” Andrew said as he rushed back into the fray, his rockcrasher raised, and shield held firm.

Neil turned from the group and slipped into the shadows, dodging the combat and spells that came near him. He didn’t look back when he entered the hall leading to the shaft, and opened the servants lift. It revealed a small box with a crank inside. The rope it was attached to was long broken.

He cursed and tore the wooden lift out of its hold. He grabbed the frayed robe that led to the second floor and yanked. It still held strong; he could climb up himself. A demon’s screech told him to hurry. Neil hulled himself into the space and began climbing. A long claw reached to grab him and Neil could see the gaping mouth of a terror demon beneath him before it dissolved in a fiery blast.

“Neil go!” Nicky shouted from the hall and Neil climbed faster. The sounds of the fighting grew quitter the higher up the rope he climbed, only the occasional echoes reaching his ears. When he reached the second floor, he swung the rope, giving him leverage as his legs met the panel connecting to the study. The wood splinter beneath his weight, and he flew into the room.

Neil scrambled to his feet, and immediately grabbed one of the bookshelves, sliding it across the floor to cover the hole and secure himself some safety. Taking a deep breath, he looked around the room.

Three of the room’s walls were covered with bookshelves that all reached the height of the tall ceiling, with a few simple chairs scattered randomly throughout the room. The fourth wall was occupied with a large picture of the Ferdinand Family – Neil recognized the young Queen Ferdinand in the portrait, standing beside a dark haired boy, and their parents. The picture was swung open, angled towards Neil, like it was on hinges. He could see the corner of an open safe from the small opening. In the middle, sat a large simply desk, with an empty plush chair behind it. Neil had to make his way around it to reach the portrait, but his foot was caught on the floor. He glanced down to see a leg, connected to the aged body of the dark haired boy in the portrait. The Queen’s brother was dead. His eyes were wide and pleading, and his neck was cut deep; he had bled out in minutes. The blood was fresh; the man had only been dead an hour max. In his hands was the Will, he had been offering it to his killer.

Neil reached forward and closed the man’s eyes. The lacks of guards, the demons, and now the Queen’s brother was dead. The mission had always been suspicious, and Neil didn’t think highly enough of royalty to doubt they’d make two contracts for the same job. Someone else was here. He grabbed the Will and shoved it safely beneath his armor. Once secured, he headed to the door of the study and was found it unlocked.

Where the downstairs had been deserted, the second floor was a slaughter house. Furniture was thrown across the halls, and the walls were marked with the same scorch marks as downstairs. Guards littered the floor in grotesque shapes, all of them inhumanly torn apart by the demons. Their last stand had been outside the study, their blood forming a puddle in front of the door. These men’s deaths were brought by someone trying to cause excessive pain and Neil could feel the power humming from their blood.  If Neil wielded it, he would be unstoppable.

Neil shook his head and dispelled the thought. Power meant nothing to him. He was a Fox, and he had the Will, now he just needed the others. The mission success.

He slipped into the shadows and began his search. He could hear the faint sounds of a fight coming from the center of the floor, where the ballroom had been placed on the maps. The quickest he could access it was from one of adjoining rooms, meant for kitchen and staff to serve food. If Neil remembered correctly, it was only a hallway down from the study.

The door was locked when he reached it, but his hands were quick and he was beyond alert. In seconds, he was in.

The room was empty and cold, its only features another door and a small table. A woman sat hunched over in the corner, freshly dead. In her hands was a set of keys. She’d been gravely wounded and must have taken shelter in the room. Neil pried the keys from her hand and unlocked the large sliding door that would lead to the ballroom. He opened it a few notches and peeked inside.  

The sound of fighting had ceased and Neil was welcomed with the sight of dead soldiers littering the ground, these ones much fresher than the ones in the hall. At the main entrance of the room, he spotted Nicky, Aaron and Andrew trapped behind a magic barrier that glimmered red. Andrew was pounding away at the wall, but it barely shuddered. Behind them, the ballroom doors shook, and Neil could make out the furious motions of Nicky and Aaron casting. The whole demon hoard must have been behind those doors.

Andrew was glaring into the center of the ballroom and Neil had to shimmy the door a little more open to see.

Neil felt his heart drop. Kevin came into view on his knees, clutching his left hand with a vicious red energy crackling around it. Riko Moriyama stood before him, looking as arrogant and prideful as Neil remembered. His entire body was crackling with the same red energy, but where it brought Kevin pain, it seemed to give the mage power. Behind Riko was a rift, that spanned from the floor to ceiling, like a permanent crack of lightning, pale green and pulsing. It was weak from the demons that had already crossed, but with every pulse of light it seemed to grow stronger.

Neil could barely make out what they were saying.

"Kevin,” Riko spoke slowly, like he was addressing a child, “it's been so long. We’re lucky the Queen was willing to arrange this meeting.” A spike of red energy shot out from Kevin’s arm, and he shuddered in pain. “I think you've shrunk since I last saw you. How must the world look from down there?"

Riko laughed.

“I’m glad the mark I left you hasn’t faded,” He crouched down, and tapped Kevin’s arm. The red energy spiked again, and this time Kevin was reduced to screams. Riko waited for them to subside before continuing. “You know what will happen if you don’t stay with me – it’ll consume you alive. No more Kevin. No more us. Don’t make us mourn your absence again, brother.”

He stood again and walked towards the rift. He reached into his armor and pulled out a small red stone, that pulsed with the same energy that surrounded him. Neil recognized the red lyrium. Like raw lyrium, red lyrium was the physical manifestation of magic, but more potent and addictive. Using the stones always had the same end, madness and death. Besides the use of blood magic, red lyrium was the only power strong enough to allow a mage to open a rift to veil. Neil could make out more of the red lyrium embedded across Riko's armor, and a large piece was propped on the end of his staff. He didn't want to guess how much the mage had stashed on his person.

“We finally found it, Kevin. The Ravens are stronger now than ever and nobody can stop us. Look at everything we’re capable of!”

Riko flourished his arm towards the rift and green light it emitted grew stronger, along with its pulses. It was near ready to release another horde of demons and an energized buzz began to fill the air.

The thumping from the main entrance stopped.

Neil ripped his gaze from Riko, and turned towards the others. He locked eyes with Andrew. Andrew didn’t need to speak for Neil to understand him. His gaze was the same all-consuming intensity it had been when Neil had poured out his truths. Andrew was asking him to make honest on those truths. _If one of us is going to survive, it’ll be him_.

 “Have you ever seen what happens to someone who consumes one of these?”

Riko was crouching before Kevin again with the small red lyrium held carelessly in his hand. The red energy pulsed again, and Kevin released another scream.

“You were my brother once. You still can be. We built our lives around each other. Come back.” He was reaching for Kevin’s mouth. The lyrium was inches from his lips when Neil acted.

Neil propelled himself into the room, and released a dagger aimed for Riko, before slipping into the shadows. He heard the distant clank of metal hitting the floor, followed by the softer bouncing of a stone, as he ran towards Kevin. He grabbed Kevin and managed to drag him half way to the others before a red blast of energy separated them, both of them falling in opposite directions of the blast, which fizzled against the barrier.

Riko was clutching his hand, and Neil could see a thin line of blood dripping from it. Neil’s dagger had done more damage than expected.

"I thought friends were supposed to cheer each other on, not enslave them.” Neil spat. He had to draw Riko’s attention away from Kevin.

Riko took the bait, and shot a second blast of energy Neil’s way that he easily dodged.

"Mine and Kevin's relationship is unique," Riko sneered before sending another volley.  "I do not expect a rattus to understand that. Do not impress on us your petty ideas of friendship."

"Was unique," Neil said, and began circling the room between dodging energy blasts. He had to buy the others time. Andrew was barraging the barrier with a new vigor, and Neil could see it straining against his force. "It died when he became a Fox. He is no longer yours."

Riko barred his teeth at Neil and the rift behind him pulsed at an even greater speed.

“Kevin a Fox? He will always be a Raven. Someone of your stance has no right to have an opinion on the matter.”

"The Foxes will be more than enough to take down your Raven's. Kevin has everything he’ll need, lyrium be damned. I think you’re scared." Neil was across the room from the others now, and had Riko’s full attention. A quick glance and he knew Andrew was almost through the barrier.

Riko laughed. "I'm not afraid of Kevin, not when I have him exactly where I want him." Riko pounded his staff against the ground and smirked at Neil. He took a few steps forward and Neil could feel the energy forming at the top of his staff. Whatever he was casting was big. Neil wouldn’t be able to dodge it like the others.

Riko’s smirk grew. He was ready to release his spell, but the barrier shattered first. Between the shattered red energy, a rockcrusher flew, and wedged itself deep in Riko’s shoulder. He let out a howl of pain and dropped his staff. It clattered to the floor, rolling towards Neil.

“Riko” Andrew said and the man turned. “It’s been a while.”

Riko ripped the small maul from his shoulder and tossed it to the side. The deep wound was filling; red lyrium crystals forming over where the large gnash had been. Neil noticed that the small wound he had inflicted on his hand had also filled. He didn’t understand how it was possible, but he knew Riko was beyond human now.

“Half-breed.” Riko spat and unsheathed his sword.

Andrew unhitched his second hammer and readied it in his hand. "Don't touch my things. I don't share."

“And tell me, what will you do when you have nothing left?” Andrew slowly approached Riko. They were within each other’s striking distance. Riko smirked at Andrew.

“I have plans in motion. Will Kevin still be yours when Palmetto burns to the ground?” Neil could see Andrew pause, a brief shudder of anger running through him, and then lunge at Riko, like a dam had been lifted inside him.

A green bolt of energy formed between them, pushing the two apart. The rift had cracked to life and multiple beams of energy shot across the room, scorching the area. At every point of contact, a green pulse appeared and Neil watched as demonic figures formed, ripping themselves through the veil.

Riko was laughing, mixed in with the screams of terror demons. Neil couldn’t see anything around him but the green crackling energy and the forming demons. He jumped to his feet and prepared for attack right as one of the demon leaped at him. He met its head with his dagger and kicked away at its body, before performing a leap attack of his own. It dissolved to smoke beneath his daggers.

Neil spotted Andrew wrestling with a wrath demon. A well placed blow of his rockcrusher, and it crumbled away. He made brief eye contact with Neil and they attacked the next demon together.

“Where’s Riko?” Neil asked, swiping at the creature’s throat.

“Gone.” Andrew said, vaguely motioning to the chaos that surrounded them, as he delivered a crushing blow to its body. Neil didn’t miss the extra force Andrew was putting into his swings.

They took down two more demons together, but as soon as one fell another one took its place. They couldn’t last like this.

“How did you survive this the last time?” Andrew grunted, after the third demon crumbled between them.

“I closed the rift.” Neil responded, as be parried another demon’s attack.

“Do it again.”

Neil froze. Andrew was perfectly calm before him. He was dead serious. Neil remembered how he’d done it, he would never be able to forget; how the blood powered him in the worst ways and the demons clawed and fought for their placement in the world. It had felt like his very soul was stripped away.

“I can’t, I’ll have to-“

Andrew pushed Neil aside, and blocked the oncoming demon’s attack.

“I don’t care. Do it.”

“I-“

“You said you won’t let it define you. Prove it.”

Andrew’s stare leveled him, but he still felt stunned, like he was moving through a daze. Neil nodded and slipped into the shadows, leaving Andrew to the demon hordes. He could make out the colorful blasts and Nicky’s and Aaron’s magic in the distance, and hear Kevin’s orders load and clear through the fray, but couldn’t make sense of any of them.

Riko’s staff was on the ground where he’d left it. Neil reached down and grabbed it. He hadn’t held a staff in years and the sensation it brought was familiar. The energy that always hummed beneath his skin felt stronger, like a rushing river rather than a trickling spring. Suddenly Neil could sense everything; the magic of the demons and the power emitting from the living and dead alike that was rooted deep in their veins. The blood of the dead spoke strongest to him, each drop brutally spilled by Riko’s demons, filled with incomprehensible pain.

Neil brought his dagger to his palm and pierced it. He let his blood mix with theirs and began casting, calling every drop to him. He could hear the demons screeching through a fog, could see claws rushing at him in slow motion.

Neil could feel his mouth moving, but couldn’t hear himself over the roar of waves crashing in his ears. He was casting the spell he would never forget, and the power he was harnessed threatened to tear him apart. The demons were clawing at the fragile bonds he was weaving and they were winning.

He remembered the first rift he had opened; the cold stare of his father, the horror in Kevin’s eyes, and the odd glee of Riko and Magistrates. He remembered himself; an empty shell that nothing could fill.

Neil could feel his vision turning red.

He looked out and met Andrew’s eyes, intent on Neil despite the demons screaming and convulsing besides him. Andrew didn’t trust anyone but himself, and yet he had asked this of Neil.

Neil thought of the Foxes. The odd trust and support they offered him, despite him having nothing in return. He would not be left empty this time.

_I may have blood magic, but I won’t let it define me._

Neil gritted his teeth and pushed harder. The words grew more familiar on his tongue. The pain of the deceased etched itself into his own bones.  He willed the blood forward and he could feel the cruel smile stretching across his lips. He pressed harder, spoke faster, and could feel the rift shuddering beneath his power.

Every ounce of power coursing through his blood and every pain he had suffered through was directed towards the rift.

For a deafening second, all Neil could hear was screams, cursing and clawing their way to him, threatening to drag take him with then, and then everything was silent. The staff fell from his hand and the red lyrium crystal shattered against the ground. He could feel his own self cracking as he fell forward. A pair of arms caught him before he could meet the same fate as the crystal.

“It’s fine now.” Neil could barely make out Andrew’s words through the haze.

 

* * *

 

 

“What was that?” Nicky jogged towards, his staff still out and ready, “We were swarmed with demons and then suddenly nothing.”

Andrew leveled Nicky with a blank stare. Neil was unconscious in his arms, but his breathing seemed even. He slowly lowered him to the ground.

“Something or someone,” Aaron spoke slowly, matching his voice to his walking pace as he came besides Nicky, “closed the rift. What’s wrong with Neil?” He leveled Andrew with a daring stare. Andrew knew Aaron wasn’t stupid, he had suspected foul play since the night at Eden’s, but his brother would receive no answers from him.

“Riko did something. Heal him.” Aaron snorted but approached Neil regardless. Andrew waited long enough to see Aaron was doing his job, before he made his way towards Kevin. Kevin’s blade was on the ground beside him, stained black from the demons. His hand had stopped pulsing when Riko escaped, but he was still clutching it. Around him, the ballroom floor was just as ruined.

The mission was supposed to be quick and easy, grab some documents, and run. Demon hordes controlled by an obsessed Raven were never supposed to be included. Riko had used the demons to herd them upstairs like sheep, following the only clear path that he had left for them. Andrew never should have let Kevin meet the Queen; he should have prevented this entire meeting from coming to bear fruit.

The worst was how someone else had to fix his mistakes. Neil hadn’t owed Andrew anything. He should have surveyed the scene and run, put himself before them. Andrew didn’t understand. Neil had chosen to compromise himself anyways, had risen to Andrew’s challenge.

The image of Neil staring back at him, surrounded by demons and encompassed in a godly amount of power wouldn’t leave his mind. Most men would kill for the abilities that Neil had, but every time Neil used them, the eyes that met Andrew’s were dead. It was like staring into a mirror. What was  most infuriating was what brought life back to them. Neil had looked to Andrew for the answers, and _found_ something.

He cursed. He was not supposed to be anyone’s answer, let alone some runaway elf’s.

Andrew stopped infront of Kevin and watched the man shudder with each breath. Andrew had watched Kevin fighting through the demon hordes, never fully letting the man leave his sight as he felled enemy after enemy with Neil. Kevin had felled just as many as them, but whatever energy and strength that had filled him then, had long vanished. He was a pale image the proud warrior he had been.

“You knew didn’t you,” Kevin’s voice was a near whisper, “about Neil, about who he really is…”

“And about how it doesn’t matter.” Andrew met Kevin’s eyes with his own blank stare. “What was Riko talking about?” 

“What?”

“Lyrium consumption, Palmetto, your mark. Pick a category.”

Kevin’s face paled as he took in what Andrew was saying. His voice was raw when he finally spoke.

“Riko has an army. It’s heading for Palmetto.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One day I won't make Neil pass out. Also the plot has been prodded which is always nice.  
> Fun fact, rabbit is a slur used to refer to elves in Dragon Age (it's the nicer of them all).
> 
> Out of all the villain roles Riko's could have been based after, it's more similar to Corypheus. The whole Tevinter and red lyrium, not all that menacing by himself, business seemed the most appropriate (also Inquisition is freshest in my mind and really wanted to incorporate the red templar horrors, etc, etc, etc.


	7. Red Horrors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did my best and this is as good as its gonna get. It's a little choppy and has a lot of explaining. I apologize for that. (on a good note the plot is finally explained! special shout out to Kevin in his role of Mr. Exposition.)  
> Updating will probably continue to be slow due to school. 
> 
> Like always I don't have a Beta so if you see any mistakes please tell me! Thank you!

With Neil’s unconscious body draped over his shoulder, Andrew led the party through the manor. The building was a ghost house now; outside the Foxes not a living soul remained. Their progress through the manor was slow going. Without Neil watching for traps, they kept falling into blunders, even with Andrew’s memorization of the buildings layout. By the time they made it to the horses, it was deep into the night.

They still had to deliver the Will to the Queen before even considering heading back to Palmetto.

They didn’t have to travel far to reach her. She was waiting for them outside the city, perched on a seated platform carried by her royal retainers. A self-satisfied expression adorned into her face when her gaze fell on Kevin, misreading his silence as surprised shock, rather than terror. When her gaze fell upon Neil’s unconscious form, her smile turned smug.

 “Kevin Day, forward.” One of the retainers spoke out, and Kevin shambled off his horse, moving like he was in a daze. Andrew pulled the Will from an opening in Neil’s armor, and tossed it to Kevin. He caught it with numb fingers.

The retainers parted to allow him to approach the Queen. Andrew didn’t miss how they closed ranks behind him. None of the other Foxes were welcome.

Kevin bowed before the queen and presented the document. It was torn around the edges, and had obvious blood splattering, but for the most part, Neil had kept it safe. The queen unfurled the Will, quickly scanned the parchment, and nodded, seemingly satisfied. She rerolled it and passed it to a retainer, who collected it and scurried off.

With a smile still splayed across her lips, she turned to Kevin.

"I hope you enjoyed my little treat, Kevin. I love hearing of the Foxes improvement, but it breaks my heart to see you away from the Ravens. I had to arrange you two to meet." She tilted her head, closely watching Kevin’s reaction in sick glee. He shuddered beneath her gaze.

Given the chance, Andrew would have brought his maul down on the Queen’s head that instant, but he couldn’t protect the others, and fight off a dozen retainers at the same time. He was stuck, watching Kevin’s shoulders quack before the Queen, head still bowed. Andrew couldn’t see it, but he knew Kevin was clutching his left hand.

 “It breaks me too, but I would like to stay at Palmetto as long as they're willing to have me.” Kevin’s voice was steady despite everything. Andrew watched as the Queen’s face momentarily fell before transforming into a smile that didn’t touch her eyes. She had not expected this development, and had no interest in an ending but her own.

“Very well.” She nodded and with a wave of her arm, the retainers parted. Kevin bowed one last time before turning back to them. His steps were measured and even. It wasn’t until he was back on his horse, and out of the Queen’s sight that he began to fall apart.

“Kevin, we’re going. Right now.” Kevin didn’t spare him a look, just clutched the reigns tighter and bent forward, like he was trying to fold in on himself. They didn’t have time for this. Andrew reached over and grabbed the man’s shoulder.

“I promised you. Riko will not get you.” Andrew said through gritted teeth. The swordsman briefly glanced at him, but Andrew could see he was looking elsewhere. He grabbed Kevin’s reigns, and pulled Kevin’s horse after his.

The moon was high in the night sky by the time they reached their boat. The man who had taken them across the narrow sea had kept his promise to wait for their return, and a second flash of steel from Andrew secured their crossing for the night.

Boarding was somber. Aaron and Nicky immediately huddled together at the bow of the boat and pulled out a deck of cards. They were attempting to play a game, but Nicky’s hands were shaking and he kept dropping them. Aaron besides him was still, but his face was ashen. Kevin had perched himself at the stern. He was staring out at the water, like he expected to see red and black sails chasing behind them.  Besides him, Neil was exactly where Andrew had dropped his unconscious body, rolled up like a bag of potatoes.

Kevin had told them the Riko’s plot; a contingency plan that Kevin and him had devised last year, right before Riko shattered his hand. As a pair they would take a mission and trick their enemy into complacency: there was no way the Raven’s would attack without their two leaders. In the meantime their troops would move in, and Kevin and Riko would finish their mission with enough time to meet their army, or not show at all, and completely divert the blame.

They knew the Raven’s wouldn’t be waiting for them in Palmetto, that would be too obvious. Whatever was would be there was worse and only a few days ride away. If they were lucky they would be able to catch the beginning of the battle. It was three days travel back to Palmetto, two if they didn’t stop to rest. They could trade the horses for fresh ones at one of the towns, and none of them were strangers to fighting while fatigued.

Andrew tested the weight of his maul in his hand. He would give anything to take a swing at Riko’s and the deck was beginning to look like a good substitute with every passing second. He was just about to raise his arm when he heard stirring besides him.

Before Neil had even propped himself into a seated position, there was a dagger shining in his hands, pointed with deadly accuracy. The elf ‘s eyes were wild and unseeing, like a cornered animal. Andrew recognized the look; he’d worn it himself, always after waking from a nightmare. Andrew didn’t say anything, simply watched Neil, waiting for him to come back to reality. It didn’t take long.

“What-“ Neil squinted at Andrew in recognition, but kept the dagger raised.

“You closed the rift, Riko’s rift. Now he’s marching on Palmetto.” Andrew spoke calmly, his voice sounded bored even. It was comical how Neil’s eyes widened in surprise, reality dawning on him, before falling flat. "How's the target on your back feel?"

"Familiar." Neil sat in silence. He turned his attention towards the sea, looking out in the direction of Nevarra. It was long out of view, but Andrew didn’t know the limitations of elf eyes compared to dwarf. They sat like that for a few moments before Andrew spoke.

"Kevin recognized you."

"Shut up." Neil immediately tried to back away from him. Andrew was faster, he’d seen this reaction coming. He grabbed Neil’s dagger at the hilt, over Neil’s fingers, and locked his grip on the back of his neck. Neil struggled against the hold, but Andrew’s grip was too strong for him to escape.

"Running won't save you this time. Can you even swim?" Andrew mocked Neil. He remembered the look of panic on Neil’s face on their way to Nevarra. From Neil’s glare, he figured that was a yes, but it didn’t erase the reality of the water surrounding them.

"Let go of me." Neil’s voice was venom, but he had stopped struggling. Andrew tentatively released the grip on Neil’s neck into something more comfortable for the both of them.

"Running was only an option when no one knew who you were. If Kevin recognized you, it’d be foolish to assume Riko didn’t after that display. He will hunt you. You can't outrun your past anymore"

"I have to try."

"I thought you wanted to stay." Andrew hummed in mock disappointment.

"I do, but -"

"What would it take to make you stay?” Neil stilled completely beneath Andrew’s fingers, before he began to shake; small quakes that seemed to start at his chest. Andrew knew the signs of panic when he saw them. He released the dagger and watched it fall limp in Neil’s hand. Neil looked up and bright blue met Andrew’s hazel.

"I can't."

"You can. Help me protect Kevin and I'll stand between you and Riko.” He said, and watched as Neil’s expression switched between equal measurements of puzzlement and mistrust.

“Why would you help me?”

Andrew sighed and released Neil. "Ask me later," He said, "Stay with us and fight, and you'll get your answers." He stood without warning and walked away from the elf. He could feel those eyes watching him, boring into his back, as he crossed the deck and joined Kevin at the stern. The swordsman shifted besides him, his gaze intent on the waves behind them, still watching for red and black sails.

Andrew snorted at him, opened one of his calming potions, and chugged. Whatever was out there, it wasn’t for his eyes to see.

 

* * *

 

 

Neil closed his eyes and tried to steady himself. A spike of panic was wrenching through his stomach into his throat. He had managed to contain it with Andrew, the pressure on his neck offering some odd form of reassurance, but now it was surfacing and Neil couldn’t keep it down. He dug his hand into his mouth so hard he could taste the coppery flavor of blood.

Andrew had told him to stay, but Neil was a liability, and he always would be. He could feel it in the energy pulsing through his veins. He was a blood mage, no matter how much he tried to deny it. If Andrew thought he could protect him, he was wrong. He would never be safe, it not from others, then himself. Blood mages were known for going mad, driven by the insatiable thirst for power. He had seen it in his father, what would stop the same from happening to him?

It had already happened at Eden’s, and Neil had felt himself slipping earlier, with the demon’s calling out to him. Neil shook his head. Both times he had pulled himself out, had somehow locked onto Andrew, and found solid ground. It didn’t make sense, finding foundation in someone so volatile, but it kept him steady.

He opened his eyes and looked up. The sky was dark, and the smell of saltwater was all around him. There were no stars. He had buried his mother off of a coast of this sea on a night like this. This was the closest he'd felt to her since her death. Neil dug his hands across his torso, searching for the scars that marked his body, but his fingers met thick leather. He couldn’t feel anything but the cool surface of the armor encasing him. It felt like protection.

Neil shifted his view back to the sea. When he looked out earlier, he could still see the coast of Nevarra on the horizon. Now it was nothing but water. The desire to run was there, it always was, but he felt oddly still.

He closed his eyes again, and tried to silence his mind. He didn’t want to be left alone with his thoughts, and let the waves lure him back to sleep instead.

 

Neil was startled awake when the ground beneath him shook. It took him a second to remembered where they were still on the boat, that the shaking was them docking, not the earth shattering beneath him.  He squinted around him. They had reached the Ferelden coast at the crack of dawn and the sudden light was harsh.

They stumbled off the boat, and by the looks of the party, Neil was the only one who got an ounce of sleep that night. Neil watched Kevin pay the sailor and offer the man some fake gratitude, before joining the rest of them near their horses. He slowed when he reached Neil, and grabbed him before he could react. Neil was pinned against his horse with Kevin looming inches from his face. When he spoke his voice was low and harsh, like it had been scrapped bloody. He addressed him in Tevinter.

"Are you really Nathaniel?"

Neil couldn’t stop the flinch the shook his body. "I'm Neil-"

Kevin tightened his grip and shook him. He could feel his teeth clenching against the force. "Are you Nathaniel, yes or no?"

Neil glared at Kevin. That seemed to be answer enough for the swordsman.

"You are an idiot and I would have you in chains for what you are capable," Kevin growled, his voice acid. He paused, like his next words pained him to say, "but you are a powerful ally, we can’t afford to lose. Fight with us and that will not become your reality.”

"I won't use my magic."

"Like earlier? Do you think you'll really have a choice?" Kevin's was mocking him and Neil feel his temper rise. If Kevin was aiming low, so could he.

"And what of your hand? Last I checked injuries don't pulse magic energy." Neil spat and it was like he had lit a match. Kevin snarled and took the hilt of his sword, pummeling it into Neil stomach. He could feel the wind knocked out of him, and his legs give with it. Kevin released him and he collapsed to the ground at the man’s feet.

“Uh, Neil, Kevin, you two okay?” Nicky’s voice was fleeting, but carried through Neil’s gaze. He glanced over to see they had gathered the others attention. Even Aaron was watching them with interest.

Kevin gritted his teeth and squatted down to Neil's level. His words were low and quiet. "If Riko wins, we all die. Lend the Foxes your strength or not. You have two days to make up your mind."

Kevin stalked to his own horse, taking place besides Andrew and began to furiously check the straps of his saddle. Andrew was openly smirking at Neil and it twisted his stomach when he saw the half-dwarf raise two fingers in a salute, before he turning to his own stead.

Neil could see Nicky still watching him from the corner of his vision, his brow creased with worry.

“Everything fine now Nicky, thanks.” Neil tried to give a reassuring smile, but even he knew it came out flat. Thankfully Nicky was kind enough to ignore it, and left Neil alone besides the occasional worried glances.

Their travel was tense after that display. Kevin’s eyes were constantly on Neil, like he was deciding Neil’s ultimate fate. Only Nicky attempted to make small talk, but it always fell flat within minutes. They moved constantly across the countryside, only stopping at towns when the horses needed rest, to switch them with fresh ones. At a few of the towns’ Kevin attempted to send carrier birds, to warn the Foxes, but none of them had any hope that the messages actually reached them.

It was their second night of travel when Palmetto came into view. The night was still young, the moon not yet high, but the sky was ablaze. Palmetto was burning.

“No” Nicky whispered. He had pulled the reigns of his horse to a stop and they all stilled besides him, transfixed by the blaze.

“It’s not too late.” Neil turned to see Kevin, sword drawn and with a fire burning in his eyes greater than the city’s. He casted a significant look at Neil, shook the reigns to his horse, and bolted towards Palmetto. The cousins followed immediately after, and Neil found himself doing the same. He may not have been at Palmetto long, but it was the only place he’d ever called home. He was going to fight.

When they reached the outskirts of the town, the horses spooked. They abandoned them and proceeded on foot. As they drew closer, it became easier to pinpoint the locations of the fire. Majority of the blaze was centered downtown. The Foxes must have set up a blockage, preventing the attack from spreading to the upper city and the center of town.

Neil could hear Aaron and Nicky preparing spells besides him, their constant muttering offering a reassurance in the coming battle. They moved quickly, ignoring the safe formation they had when exploring the manor. It wasn’t long before they reached the first houses, and the first ruins

More building stood tall then in ruins, but patches of fire littered the ground in the forms of broken wagons and caravans splintered across the clearing. Footsteps and skid marks marred the earth, and it was impossible to figure out what was friend of foe. The few buildings that were destroyed sat as crumbled messes, and had the same crackling red energy that Riko had pulsing across their darkened surfaced.

A familiar screech echoed around them, and Neil could feel them tense as a group. _A terror demon_. Before he could brandish his daggers, a gaping mouth appeared in front of him and lunged. A rockcrusher embedded itself into the demon’s head a foot from his face, and the demon scattered into dust. Andrew was beside him, already readied for a second attack.

“More demons.” He spat.

“But there’s no rift. Could they-?” Nicky turned to Aaron and their met eyes. Aaron nodded.

“The red lyrium. Riko’s using it as an anchor to keep them in this plane.” The red energy from the buildings seemed to increase in frequency with his words, and it split into multiple shoots around them. A rage demon was the first to form. It stretched its lava form towards Aaron, and its burning arm reached him with ridiculous speed. A quick shot from Kevin’s blade and a frost spell from Nicky and it crumbled away.

“We need to move.” Kevin shouted, as more forms began to take shape around them. The quickly moved as a group, weaving through the town and crackling energy, until they were only a block away from the blaze they had spotted outside the city. Neil could hear fighting from the same direction.

Before they could proceed, Andrew’s hand shot out, halting them.

“Demons isn’t all Riko’s using the lyrium for.” Andrew said, his voice betraying nothing, but from the tense of his shoulders, Neil could tell he was unsettled.

Neil turned and followed his line of sight and spotted two young children, huddled inside the ruins of a chart with a horror Neil had never seen looming over them. It was humanoid in shape, but its skin was pallid and grey, like the Darkspawn, but with pulsing red veins and eyes. Red lyrium stones seemed to grow out it like a parasite, creating long claws and giant bulk on the creatures back. It was like when Riko’s wound had filled with the red stone, but all over the creature’s body, giving it a near impenetrable armor.

The red horror screamed wrongness to Neil, the blood within it emitting a sensation he had never felt before. Whatever it was, it was not supposed to exist and needed to be destroyed.

Neil slipped into the shadows without thinking, and sprinted towards the creature. He leapt at its outreaching claw and pierced the arm with one of his daggers. The blade lodged itself into the skin like it was rock.  Neil used the arm as spring board to flip around the beast, cracking the arm and freeing his blade, before performing a second attack to the creature’s flank. He wedged his daggers between the creature’s stone growths and pulled, attempting to crack the defense the lyrium growth gave the horror. He felt them give underneath his weight, and he fell to the ground with a large majority of the creatures back.

It released a bloodcurdling howl and turned on Neil, raising its remaining claw to strike. Andrew was faster. He lunged at the beast and brought his maul down on its back, exploiting the weakness Neil had just created. The horror shuddered and shattered between them, and a scrap of the creature clothing fell besides Neil. It was emblazed with the Ferelden crest.

 _Have you ever seen what happens to someone who consumes one of these?_ Riko had asked Kevin at the manor, while holding red lyrium to his lips. Neil clutched the scrap and barely stopped himself from vomiting.

“Run” Andrew growled at the children and they hurried off without a second glance. Neil looked up and saw Andrew’s eyes were on the scrap as well. His face was unreadable, but Neil could have sworn his eyes looked darker than usual.

Neil glanced at Kevin. The swordsman face was hard, and he could tell it was taking all of Kevin’s mental strength to keep composure. He silently turned towards one of the connecting alleyways, and uttered a quiet: “This way.”

When they entered the clearing, it was easy to see why it was ablaze. Rage demons spewed lava, burning everything in their path and the red energy crackled across the buildings, scorching the wood and increasing their power.  The few buildings that were still upright were crawling with the long-limbed terror demons, and the air was full of their constant screeches and the clash of metal. The red horrors made up the smallest percentage of the enemies, but with every passing moment, the red lyrium infestation grew. Most had become hulking monsters that rivaled Matt in size.

Forming a barricade from the rest of the town stood the Foxes, Matt, Dan, Wymack and Renee, an immovable force resisting the wave of enemies. Matt brought his sword down on a red horror, breaking it in half with one hit, as Dan took down a terror demon that appeared in his opening, slicing right through its head. Renee was immobilizing all the foes that approached, using the deadly accuracy Neil had witnessed during their hunt, and Wymack finished off any that escaped her blades.

 “Aaron shield, now! Nothing survives! That’s an order!” Wymack bellowed at them from the frontlines, noticing them as soon as they arrive.

Aaron raised a quick bubble shield around him and Nicky, and immediately began casting. Almost instantly the clearing erupted into pillars of elements, as Nicky released the spells he’d been preparing as well.

Sidestepping Nicky’s spells, Neil leapt into the clearing, and lodged his daggers into the nearest demon, performing multiple strikes again and again until the creatures fell. A quick duck and he evaded a set of claws. A slash of his daggers and he wedged his blades into a red horror, and tore them deep down its side. Red lyrium feel from its body and left it exposed. Like before, Andrew appeared to deliver the final, killing blow. Neil moved onto the next enemy.

It was too easy. The fight was the manor ballroom, where they were surrounded by swarms of enemies, but these enemies had a limit, and didn’t spawn new numbers. They were numerous, large enough to crush a weaker force, but not the Foxes. Even without their aid, the older Foxes could have found a way to manage. Either Riko had severely underestimated them, or he had others plans.

Neil moved throughout the battlegrounds, weaving his attacks and evasions as one, slaying demons and horrors alike. Their numbers were thinning, only three dozen left – two dozen after Nicky released another round of spells. Neil stepped to the side, narrowly evading a demon’s attack and quickly scanned the clearing. The Foxes were standing strong, but he couldn’t find two faces.

“Where are Allison and Se-“ Neil stopped midsentence. A sensation washed over him; the same sensation he got from the Darkspawn, a nefarious pounding that seemed to emit from the earth’s core, except this time, it was stronger and coming from above. Neil could feel his stomach lurch. He was stumbling and struggling to hold himself up.

A hand on his back caught him before he could fall. Neil turned to see Matt, supporting him with his free hand, and blocking oncoming attacks with his large broadsword.

“Neil, what’s wrong buddy?” Matt parried a second attack, but even through his haze Neil could see he couldn’t keep it up. Matt was already favoring his left leg.

“Up” Neil gritted, trying to regain control of himself. Matt shifted behind him, and he could feel the man tense, before breaking into a sprint and dragging Neil with him like a stuffed doll.

“Dragon!” Matt roared above the fray, “Take cover!”

A wave of heat rolled over them and Neil saw the spot they were standing erupt into a field of flame. The dragon circling the clearing above them, and Neil watched it dip its body for another dive, mouth wide open. Matt leapt behind a broken wagon, preventing the second blast from burning them alive. Kevin and Andrew scrambled to take shelter besides them.

“That’s not a dragon, not anymore.” Kevin hissed. His left hand was crackling with the same red energy as the buildings now, and it was spreading up his arm. His shield prevented him from grasping it, but Neil could see the pain clear on his face.

Matt took one glance at Kevin and sighed in exasperation. “Whatever this is, you’re explaining everything after this. In the meantime –“ Matt released Neil and stood to his full height, hoisting the sword over her shoulder. The dragon was circling above them again and it looked ready to dive at any second. Matt gave Neil a bolstering smile “I’ve always wanted to slay a dragon.”

“No need.” Andrew drawled, and vaguely motioned to the rooftops behind them. “Look, found one.”

An arrow whizzed above them, soaring into the sky and lodging itself into one of the dragon’s claws and exploded. Like the red horrors, the limb cracked away, and shattered to the ground. A loud curse emanated from one of the still-standing building. Neil squinted to see Allison through the blaze, notching her crossbow with a second arrow.

This one was true to aim and struck the dragon in the eye. Two more followed immediately after, piercing its wing and torso. They all exploded as one and the dragon shattered with a final roar of flame, falling to the ground in large chunks, decimating any buildings that still stood tall.

Allison leapt from her perch as her building gave way.

“Catch me you fools!” She shouted and planted Matt right in the face with her boot. They tumbled over the wagon to the ground, and Neil lost sight of them in the rubble as dirt rose around them. When it cleared, they were a pile of limbs, disgruntled, but fine.

 “Allison!” Dan jogged over to them, and offered a hand to Allison, pulling her up, “Where’s Seth?”

“How should I know? I’m not his keeper” Allison snorted. “We went to the tavern, he needed to piss. Haven’t seen the jerk since. Probably drunk off his ass somewhere.” She nonchalantly patted the dirt off her clothing as she spoke, but the worried furrow of her brow gave her away.

Neil tried to stand, to give the older Foxes some space, but felt himself buckling instead. He thought the reverberating had died with the dragon, but suddenly the sensation was all around him. This close, he could pinpoint the feeling. It was same sense he received from blood, but rather than power, this felt like death and he could feel it consuming him.

He was about to lose all sensation of reality, when Neil felt a pressure grip around the base of his neck, and suddenly the reverberating was gone; he could feel nothing from the lyrium fragments. Neil turned to lock eyes with Andrew.

“Clean up duty, Captain’s orders” And he released his hand and walked away. The sudden lack of pressure left Neil momentarily unsteady. It took a short moment for him to regain himself, before following after.  

The army had been fully eradicated. Any enemies they hadn’t dealt with were destroyed in the dragon’s fire, or in the reign of lyrium shards. This  also left the clearing and connecting city blocks the fighting had taken place a total mess. Chunks of red lyrium littered the ground, and the distinct crackle of energy still surrounded the area. Neil knew the stories of red lyrium, that it was like a weed. Once it took root it was impossible to eradicate completely. If they wished to rebuild, they had to make sure every ounce was destroyed.

Nicky had already gotten to work containing the red energy signatures around town; speaking incantations Neil didn’t recognizing and dispelling entire areas at a time. He sent Neil a quick wave between casting, but was otherwise occupied.

That left Neil, Andrew, and the girls to pick up all the lyrium shards; Matt, Dan, and Kevin having been deemed unfit for further duty for the night. They worked quickly, hoisting the rocks onto the few carts left unbroken. The girls filled the silence, with idle chat and filled Neil on the happenings he had missed.

 “Renee noticed some weird energy from far away. Thanks to some of her old traps, we were able to eradicate most of their numbers before they even made it to the outskirts of town.” Dan spoke animatedly, as if she had just seen a show, rather than fight an entire battle.

Renee smiled. “Just being careful.”

Neil paid attention to their conversation for the most part, nodding at all the right moments and offered the occasional commentary. They never asked him about his mission, which Neil was grateful for.

They had nearly finished cleaning up all the shards when a small flicker of red energy distracted him from Dan. He followed it with his eyes to one of the few buildings still left standings. A faint gurgling noise was sounding from inside.

“Guess we didn’t kill everything.” Allison snorted, and notched her crossbow in time for a red crystallized horror to stumble out of the entryway. It moved in a direct path to her, as if she was its single focus. Its face was half distorted by red lyrium, but when it came into the light, what remained was impossible not to recognize.

“Found the other.” Andrew said.

“Al…Al..isoon” Seth staggered in his walk, but continued forward, his hand out stretched towards her. The lyrium growth had begun at his chest, like it had ripped through his insides, forming ragged rock around his torso and arms. Like the other horrors, his eyes and veins pulsed red. 

Seth was only a few paces from Allison when Neil heard the click of her crossbow, and an arrow was released. It pierced straight into his chest and he staggered back. Another click, a second arrow pierced his head, and Seth fell to the ground, shattering like the other red horrors.

Allison’s face was a mask. She stepped forward to collect her arrows and walked away. Renee and Dan shared a glance between them, and followed after.

Neil watched them leave before stepping forward to collect the new lyrium shards. There was still some space on their last cart for Seth. He was beginning to feel the onset of exhaustion, and wanted to finish as quickly as possible.

 Andrew crouched besides him after a moment.

"That's interesting," he said. "That apathy doesn't bode well for your sanity."

Neil didn’t bother looking up, just shrugged. "Guess I'm desensitized."

Andrew hummed in what Neil took as agreeance, but didn’t bother helping. From the set of his shoulders Neil could tell he was beyond exhausted as well. They worked in silence.

 

* * *

 

 

When Neil arrived back at the dorm that night, Matt was already asleep.

That next morning, the emptiness of Seth’s bed had not gone unnoticed. They had woken up to a slight knock on the door. Matt had looked at the bed, sucked in a long slow breath and moved to the door. Dan was waiting when he opened it, and delivered the news Neil was unwilling to. They spent the morning emptying Seth's trunk and stripping his bed. Since there was no body, his possessions would have to do instead.

The only thing that wouldn't make Seth's burial was his sword. Dan placed it away from the other artifacts, and took it with her when she left.

"Allison requested it." She whispered into Matt's ear, when they parted. She gave Neil a small sad smile, but never tried to comfort him besides that. Whether she was unable to, or knew Neil didn’t need it, he wasn’t sure.

After she left Matt sat silently at the table and stared at the new emptiness of Seth’s bed, without really seeing it. Neil wasn’t sure what to do. He had never mourned properly before, let alone comforted someone, and knew whatever he said would likely make it worse. Instead he grabbed the deck of playing cards he had watched Seth and Matt play every night he stayed at the Foxhole, and began shuffling. When he offered some to Matt , the giant took a moment to come out of his daze, but gave Neil a small smile when he took the cards. They played a few simple games for the remainder of the morning.

The sun was high in the sky when they were final interrupted by a wrapping on their door, followed by the quick unlatching of the lock. Nicky’s head peaked through the slight opening he created.

 “Captain’s called a last minute meeting. We’re all already downstairs.” Nicky’s smile was tight and apologetic.

“Yea sure, we’ll be down in a minute.” Matt said and Nicky nodded, closing the door behind him.

Matt placed his cards down with a sigh and stood. “Ready for this?”

“No” Neil responded, but him out of the room all the same, making sure the door was locked behind him. Matt shook his head with a small amused grin.

“One day I’ll be able to tell if you’re joking or not.”

They spanned the distance of the hallway and descended the stairs together. In the main room, everyone was already seated around the table, except the glaringly empty seats of Allison and Seth. Neil took his usual spot besides Matt, and was surprised to find Andrew to his left, Kevin occupying the seat besides the half-dwarf. From the lopsided smile he received, Andrew was already deep under the effects of his potion.  

Wymack cleared his throat to gather the Foxes attention, though Neil was certain he caught a look from the man before he started to speak.  

"I know this is an impromptu meeting, and I know you all expect me to make some sort of speech, but I'm not here to offer you kind words and pats on the back. You all know what this line of work entitles. My job is to be your captain no matter what, to keep you moving so that you're ready the next time. Last night is something we will all have to live with."

Wymack's gaze swept across the room and he made eye contact with each and every one of them.

"Life doesn't care what we want out of it; it's up to us to fight for what we want. Seth was a fighter. He'd want us to take down whoever was pulling those strings. Thanks to your efforts, we now know who that is; Riko Moriyama and the Ravens are playing us as fools, attacked us with the people we’ve sworn to protect, infected our own, and he won’t stop there.” Wymack took a deep breath before turning to Kevin.

“I need you to them what we discussed.” Kevin blanched besides Andrew, and Neil saw the smaller man reach out to clutch his arm, anchoring him. When his voice came out, it was even and strong.

“Riko is amassing an army. He plans to start a Blight.” Neil felt himself tense, and his heartbeat rapidly increase. There had been five blights in written history, periods of time when darkspawn hordes attacked the surface world, each time led by an archdemon – an awakened Old God, corrupted by the Darkspawn taint. In Ancient times the Old Gods were worshipped in Tevinter as powerful spirits that took the form of dragons, but mysteriously disappeared, now said to be sleeping deep within the earth.  

With every Blight, came destruction and death.

“The dragon yesterday was a failure, his attempt to create a false archdemon, but it wasn’t fully mature yet. The lyrium consumed it too fast.”

“That doesn’t make sense.” Dan raised her voice,“ You can’t make an archdemon with couple red rocks and a flying lizard.  Not just any dragon is an Old God. It just not possible.” Kevin shook his head.

“Red lyrium contains the same properties as the Darkspawn taint. Riko - he considers it the same. He thinks that by controlling the false archdemon he can draw the Darkspawn out.”

“That explains the odd behavior we discovered.” Matt muttered beneath his breath.

“The dragon is just a means to an end. The Darkspawn need a familiar beacon to guide him. Riko’s true goal is to become the archdemon himself. He plans to claim the throne of the Maker.”

The room was silent. Neil could see Kevin’s resolve falter for a moment, before continuing.

“Right now, he’s amassed enough red lyrium to control and summon demons, but that won’t be enough. He needs to control the entire Fade to truly ascend. He’s going to use the Blight as a sacrifice, to fully harness the power of the Old Gods. He believes that will be enough.”

“And he plans to lay waste to us all to make it happen?” Dan’s words were fire, and Neil could hear equal protests forming on the other Foxes’ lips. They died when Neil spoke.

"Why? The throne is already empty."

Ancient Tevinter Magisters had traveled to the Fade, to take the throne. When they approached the Maker’s golden city, it’s said it turned black, corrupted by their greed and turned the entire realm into a land of nightmares and demons. When they returned, the Magisters brought back the Darkspawn taint in their blood.

It’s said that throne was empty when they arrived. It was the belief Riko was raised on, that all Tevinter children were raised on. There was nothing to claim, to think otherwise didn’t make sense. Riko’s plan didn’t make sense.

Neil could feel the room shift uncomfortably. Andrew was laughing besides him and he could sense Renee’s heavy gaze on him. The Chantry believed the Maker would return and restore balance one day. Neil didn’t understand that hope.

“The Maker is irrelevant. Riko wishes to take their power, and if he can’t take it from the god themself, he will do so by claiming the Black City. He will paint all of Ferelden red to reach his goal” Kevin said.

“So really the whole thing’s an egotistical power trip?” Aaron snorted from the far end of the table, at the same time Nicky asked: “When he has this power, what does he plan to do with it?”

“In ancient times Tevinter’s power was unrivaled. Though still powerful, it is a shadow of its former self. Riko wishes to restore that power, but has no political influence. In his own twisted way, this is him restoring Tevinter’s might, and bringing pride to the Moriyama name.” Kevin took a deep breath before continuing. “If he ascends, Tevinter is all he’ll leave standing.”

“And they’re going along with this?” Dan’s voice was incredulous.

“The magisters don’t know. Riko is acting independently of their orders. Within the Ravens, most share his ideals, and the ones that don’t either submit or end up like Seth.”

Kevin released a breath and seemed to melt back into his chair. He had shared everything. The room grew silent as everyone collected their thoughts. Dan was first to speak.

"We've lost enough, don't you think?" Dan looked around at her teammate. "We can’t let Riko win. That means it our turn to succeed."

Matt laced his fingers through hers and squeezed. "If Riko wants a fight, we'll give him one."

"Words don't means anything.” Wymack said, “Prove to me you have what it takes to bring the battle to the Ravens. We're officially preparing for war. Now get out of my face." Wymack’s words lacked the harsh edges they usually carried, but the Foxes scattered anyways. Out of the corner of his eyes, Neil saw Kevin, followed closely by Andrew, slip downstairs to the training rooms. Checking to make sure the other Foxes were heading in different directions, he descended after them.

Neil entered the training room to find Kevin sitting alone in the middle of the main floor. His was facing the staircase and raised his eyes to meet Neil’s. A distinct clatter was emitting from the armory, telling him Andrew was present, but offering them privacy.

 “Nathaniel,” Kevin addressed him in Tevinter.

“I already told you, it’s Neil now. It doesn’t matter who I used to be.”

Kevin scoffed at him, like he had told a bad joke. "Andrew said the same, but we both know it’s not that simple. Why did you come? Why join the Foxes?" Kevin was watching Neil like he was guilty of something, as if he had forgotten how Neil had run from the prospect of the Foxes.

"As I recall, you were the one who asked me to." Apparently that was the wrong response. Whatever anger and frustration Kevin had been holding down exploded.

"Asked you before I knew! Did you think I had forgotten you? How could anyone forget you!?” His eyes were cold fire and his voice was seething. “You’re blood magic is what started everything. Had you not opened that rift, had Riko not seen that, everything would be different right now!" His fists were clenched and shaking, and he was breathing deeply, his eruption leaving him winded.

Neil simply glared at Kevin, making sure it was just as heated.

“I am not responsibility for Riko’s twisted fantasies.” He spat back. Kevin snarled at him, but stayed silent. After an endless moment, Kevin closed his eyes, and released a breath. He raised both hands to scrub fiercely at his face, forcing himself to deflate. When he lowered them, he was a calmer man and Neil felt his own tension ebb away.

"How much does Andrew know?" He asked.

Neil shook his head. "Most, not all. He thinks my father is dead. That he attempted to fight the magisters and we escaped in the conflict.”

“Your mother?”

“Dead.” Kevin pinched his eyes shut and released another breath. Neil waited a moment before continuing, “Andrew told me to stay."

“Andrew knows nothing of the big picture,” Kevin hissed his frustration. “You are a loose end and a danger to us all. Riko will raze the earth bare until you are his or dead. I would run, it’s the only chance for survival."

"So I can die somewhere else all by myself?" There was fury in Neil’s voice despite the quiet tone. He thought of his mother, body burned and buried where no one would find her. He thought of the cold cave floors, and the coming winter. “Never again.”

Kevin released another angry hiss. "You didn’t let me finish. _I would run_ ,” He paused for a moment, surveying Neil and lifted his left hand. He had removed his gauntlet. “We both know how that ended."

This close to Kevin, Neil could make out the ugly scars that covered the center of his palm from the break. The veins surroundings the mark and the veins were ugly and blackened, his skin was pale and gray. He could feel the same reverberating energy that came from the Darkspawn and false archdemon, emitting from his hand.

“What did Riko do to you?”

“I didn’t approve of his plans. I challenged him, and some of the Ravens supported me. Power was shifting and Riko felt vulnerable. He held me down, shattered my hand and tainted me.” Neil could image it; RIko holding Kevin down, smearing Darkspawn blood into the wound and smiling as the infestation took hold. Kevin should be a dead man.

“How are you still alive?”

“Wymack took me in immediately after, and for a time Aaron’s purification spells kept it at bay. Now it’s spreading and I’m starting to hear the call - the constant drumming drawing me to the deep roads.” Kevin laughed and looked up at Neil. “I didn’t know who you truly were in the cave, but I meant what I said. Fight with me.”

“I already said yes to that when I joined the Foxes.”

“Then help me remove the taint.” He said it so nonchalantly; like he wasn’t asking the one thing Neil had refused to do.

“I said no blood magic.” Kevin was silent for an endless moment.

“I know what you said.” He was challenging Neil, not out of malice, but desperation.

Neil knew what removing the taint would entitle. To do it he would have to take control of the taint himself. He knew the incantation; it was one of his father’s favorite, used to torture his victims until they went mad, spreading the infection at his will and causing their skin to turn gray beneath his touch.

His father had never attempted the opposite; never tried to remove the taint. He always left victims to rot. Neil took a deep breath, and looked Kevin the eyes.

Neil placed his hands in his pockets and felt the weight of keys meet his fingers. He had nearly forgotten about them. The Foxes had given him a home, then keys, letting him know he belonged.

Neil knew what desperation was like, and he knew what he had told Andrew. _Kevin would be the one to survive_. Neil was not his father.

“I can try.” Neil unsheathed his dagger, and waited for Kevin to give permission. With it, he plunged the blade deep into Kevin’s hand, right over the scar.

Neil didn’t know if Kevin screamed. He couldn’t hear anything over the loud drumming filling his mind. He distantly wondered if this was the call, which drew all tainted below the earth. He tightened his grip on the dagger, and pushed it deeper. He needed more blood, needed the call to be stronger. He needed to take hold of the connection that turned men to monsters and rotted them from the inside. 

He began casting, willing the blood to bend to his will. The drumming was deafening now, and he willed it louder. He withdrew the dagger and forced the connection to hold – blackened blood followed the blade, pooling in at the tip and streaming from Kevin’s wound. He quickened his incantation, and the blood flowed quicker, until only a tendril of power remained, refusing break from its host.

Neil took a deep breath and reached out to the blood, taking its power as his own and commanded it to follow his will. He commanded it to leave Kevin. The taint followed, Neil felt the connection to Kevin sever and then his vision went dark.

It was the same as the lyrium dragon, a sensation of death that shook through Neil’s entire being, and called out, connecting to some greater force that wanted to swallow Neil whole. There was a deafening roar, loader than the drumming, and something was clawing at him, ripping him apart. He couldn’t breathe, he was drowning and he couldn’t move.

It felt like he was suspended for an eternity, but he knew only seconds had passed. He was slipping; he could feel himself dissolving into nothing and he couldn’t hold himself together. He was nearly, truly nothing, when a sudden pressure appeared on Neil’s neck, a firm grip that Neil knew no amount of strength could break. He focused on that grip, allowing it to anchor him back to reality. His life was dependent on it; it was terrifying and liberating all at once.

The sudden light of the training room seemed blinding and Neil felt his body wrecked, gasping for breath. The dagger slipped from his fingers, and the blackened blood spilled to the ground with it, forming a small pool besides him. It was calling to Neil, he could still hear the drumming, but it was weak now.

Andrew released his grasp from Neil’s neck, and practically threw him across the ground, and the drumming faded entirely. This far, the taint couldn’t reach him. He felt his breath return and his eyes adjust and sharpen. He could clearly make out Andrew crouching before Kevin, who was holding his left hand out before him. It was a healthy color now, all traces of gray removed, and the wound Neil caused had sealed itself when he broke their connection. The scarring RIko had inflicted would always be there, but at least the taint had been removed.

Kevin met his gaze over Andrew’s shoulder and silently mouthed his thanks. Neil blinked at Kevin, unsure what to do with his thanks. His eyelids felt heavy. He pushed on the ground with his arms, and unsteadily brought himself to a kneeling position, and then to standing. Everything felt numb.

“Neil,” Andrew had turned to him, his face unreadable and eyes dark. Neil couldn’t make out the rest of his words, but thought he heard ‘sleep’ in the mix. It was barely afternoon and he felt exhausted. He moved upstairs through a dizzy haze, climbing the staircase with cooperating limbs. Before he knew it, his head was on a pillow, and everything was dark again.

When he opened his eyes again, then sun had long set and the sky was dark. Matt was asleep in the bed besides him, and when he turned to look at the man, he felt a crinkle of parchment beneath him. He used unsteady hands to grab it. A single sentence was neatly printed on its surface. It didn’t say who it was from and it didn’t need to.

_This is the moment you stop being a rabbit._

Neil closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep.

                                         

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Neil finally didn't pass out! Instead he went to sleep. Hopefully the plot and all the Dragon Age explanation stuff makes sense! If you have any questions I will 100% answer (though it may take a week).
> 
> For people who've played the video games, probs not gonna include Grey Wardens (I was gonna make Wymack one, since it would explain how the Foxes get most of their resources and how Kevin withstood the taint so long, but realized that he would eventually hear the Call and give himself to the Deep Roads which would be great storytelling and a tragic end but yea. I'm not that strong). 
> 
> Next Chapter more plot and bonding. Also maybe Abby and Bee will finally appear. I keep forgetting to add them. It's the next one or the next next. They're appearing in either.


	8. Caltraps & Lures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neil makes a vow to himself to sleep like a normal person and the foxes get medieval fantasy mail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So school got me like eyyyyy but free now and I will not let this fic die.  
> The chapter's really just build-up to the next chapter and acts as background for multiple characters, but I tried my best, especially in character interactions.
> 
> Since its been a while:  
> Ferelden - Where Millport and the Palmetto will be located.  
> Orlais - Where Nicky, Aaron and Andrew are from.  
> Tevinter - Ravens are based here as well as the Butcher.
> 
> Races (besides human):  
> Elves- in the Dragon Age world are heavily discriminated against. There's City Elves - who life with humans but in essentially ghettos, and Dalish who live in the wild and practice what little still remains of their culture. Dalish elves have facial tattoos (vallaslin) in dedication to a particular Elven God.  
> \- Renee half-city  
> \- Neil's mother was Dalish. His tattoos represent the Elven God of Death.  
> Dwarves- generally keep to themselves. They're magic resistant.  
> \- Twinyards are half-dwarf.  
> Qunari - are a giant race and they have varying horns. Said to descend from dragons.  
> \- Matt is half-qunari
> 
> I don't have a Beta so if anything isn't quite making sense please point it out to me so I can fix it! Thank you!

Rays of sunlight were peaking over the horizon when Neil finally pried his eyes open. He blinked lazily at light a few times, before forcing his body into a seated position and began scrubbing at his eyes. He’d overslept - it was well after dawn and Matt’s bed was already empty. Usually the sound of his roommate alone was enough to stir him.

Neil blearily recalled his mother slapping him awake whenever he overslept like this. They were always on the move, never sleeping too long, always vigilant. If she were there she’d already be adding a few bruises to Neil’s collection for his slip up, but Neil couldn’t bring himself to care. Instead he sat there stifling a yawn.

The spell he had performed on Kevin was surprisingly taxing. His limbs felt like wet clay, as if exhaustion had sunken heavily into his bones. He’d stay in bed all day if it wouldn’t be such a waste after sleeping throughout all yesterday. He slowly turned his body to the edge of the bed and placed an unsteady foot on the floor. A second foot followed the first and Neil was relieved to find his legs held strong. He hated how his magic kept leaving his vulnerable. He felt he’s been collapsing a lot lately, another thing his mother would be furious at.

He was about to turn from his bed when he noticed a small curl of paper flutter down from his bed – Andrew’s message. Time seemed to move still when he bent to pick it up, stared at the words without reading:

_This is the moment you stop being a rabbit._

He finally folded the paper and deposited it next to the keys in his pocket. A place to call home and a reminder. Maybe Neil could become a real person.

He let himself slip into his thoughts as he changed.

 

* * *

 

“Hey man! We were worried you had fallen into some magic coma or something!” Matt greeted.

Neil had just entered the main room and Matt was already pushing out the empty chair across from him. Neil offered a quick good morning and nodded his greetings to Dan and Renee too before taking his seat. As he sat Dan placed a heaping plate of food in front of him.

“You’ve been asleep since yesterday. We figured you’d be starving.”

Neil was about to protest when a large growl erupted from his stomach. Dan just laughed and slapped his arm.

“Eat up! We’re gonna have a big day today!”

At his confused glance Dan realized, “Oh yea, you were asleep. It was agreed we’d divvy up tasks to help out the town. The monster’s –“ Renee tsked her “-I mean Andrew’s lot, they’ve already left for the morning – they’ll be traveling to gather supplies from the next town over. We figured you weren’t up for another trip..”

Neil listened as he ate slowly, cutting the food into small pieces. He waited for her to finish catching him on yesterday’s events, which wasn’t much, before changing the topic.

“So what are we doing today?”

“We’ll be repairing the town’s defenses.” Renee answered, with a smile the put Neil on edge. She pretended not to notice. “A lot of my traps were set off in the attack. We all feel it’d be best to refortify, and perhaps add a few extras as well.” Neil nodded and forced himself to keep eating.

“While you guys do that, Dan and I’ll be helping rebuild. They’re gonna need some extra muscle out there.” Matt said.

“You mean they’ll need my muscles. You can sit back a watch babe,” Dan winked at Matt and started flexing her arms impressively. She could easily crack spin with her biceps.

They filled the silence with soft laughter and chatter as Neil finished eating. He noticed that Allison hadn’t joined them, and from the strange hollowness that filled their expressions whenever one of them looked at the stairs, he took it that she never would. It wasn’t long before they were heading out.

 

* * *

 

 

Renee and Neil had separated themselves from Dan and Matt when they’d reached the center of town, and Neil found himself struggling to keep up with Renee as she weaved through the early morning crowds. She moved swiftly, and passersby often blocked his view completely of her. It was a challenge in itself to follow her to the outskirts of town. Finding and rearming the traps was easy in comparison.

Their job didn’t take long. The attack two nights ago had breached the city in only one location, from the entrance of the lower sector, only a hundred yards from the road. It was a shoddy attack strategy and it made it obvious Riko was toying with them. Seth was further proof of that. It made Neil’s blood boil, but at least it made their job easier. All that remained was checking the city’s perimeter and reinforcing spots of weakness.

Most of the traps they placed were lures and caltraps, that would distract the enemies before they could enter the line of fire, or notify them of attack, but Renee surprised Neil by producing sleep-gas, oil and even acidic grease, that could potentially immobilize any attackers. Poison was strictly uninvolved.

"In case any of the city children get mixed up by accident. These defenses are for protection, not destruction." Renee spoke serenely as she finished stringing the trip wires in record speed. Her prowess with traps was continuing to justify the unease Neil felt towards Renee and he was grateful that for the most part, they were working in silence.

The silence didn’t last forever. The sun was high in the sky, it being well into the afternoon, when Renee spoke to him. They were more than half-way done and had just finished securing a crumbing patch in the wall with some snare traps and spikes.

“Yesterday, you said the Maker’s seat is empty. Do you not believe?” Renee’s hand was fiddling with the symbol of the Chantry around her neck. Neil would feel her eyes watching him carefully.

“It’s simply what I was taught when I was young.” Neil didn’t elaborate. It didn’t matter to him whether or not there was some creator sitting on some chair. Even if the Maker did exist, he wouldn’t give a shit about someone like Neil. It made no difference to his life.

“And what of the _Evanuris_? Do you believe?” Neil’s steps faltered at the elven term for the Pantheon – the elvish “creators”. The last person he heard use it was his mother; only believers called them that. He turned to face Renee and met her gaze. She had stilled besides him, face neutral.

It took him a moment to formulate his thoughts.

“That they existed once, yes. Whether they still do, does not matter to me.” Neil tore his gaze from her, and forced his legs to keep walking. He felt unsteady.

“But someone did to give you the _Vallaslin_.”

Neil didn’t respond, biting his lips to distract himself. It was a struggle not to reach up and touch his tattoos. Apparently Renee didn’t expect him to speak.

“I once considered getting my own. I wanted to dedicate myself to Andruil - the Goddess of the Hunt. You see, I had grown up in the Kirkwall elven alienage and I won’t say the experience was pleasant - it was exactly what you expect from a city built on the blood of slaves and my status as a half-elf did not help. I wasn’t elvish enough for the elves, but was too elvish for the humans.” Renee spoke softly as they walked, as if she were to discussing the weather. Neil found himself listening, despite his better interest.

“The only ones who accepted me were one of the more _radical_ elven sects. Blood didn’t matter to them, jus that you were fully devoted to the Evanuris. I started small, as a lookout and runner, and worked my way up to harder work. I did anything they asked me to and didn’t care who I hurt. Everything I - we did, we did for the Evanuris, though, now I’m not too sure of that.”

Neil had slowed to walk besides Renee. She paused, looking out to the rolling plains that surrounded the city walls. From here, one could see the edge of the forest begin to form.

“I wasn’t as smart as I thought. The Kirkwall guards caught me, and nearly killed me. I managed to escape, but I was heavily wounded. I was bleeding out in a shrine to the Maker when she found me – Stephanie Walker – a sister of the Chantry. She hid me from the guards, healed me and kept me safe. The rest of my gang was caught that night and they were all executed on the spot. Since the guards couldn’t find me, they took the life of my mother instead.”

“I’m sorry.” Neil said.

“I’m not.” Renee smiled and returned to her story. “The Evanuris did not help me, nor the others that night. Stephanie did. I do not disbelieve in the Evanuris, and I still seek to exemplify the qualities of Andruil that I respect, and to be honest, I’m not sure if the Maker is sitting up there either. What matters is that I am a bad person, trying to become a good person, and that the Maker, through the hands of Stephanie, gave me that opportunity. I was given a new faith, a new name, and a new chance at life.”

Neil looked up at her from the trap. She had resumed working the ropes, but her face was so serene, at peace with herself. It took a moment for the words to find a place on his lips.

“My mother gave me my _vallaslin_. She believed that Falon'Din would give me fortune for my travels, and when that ran out, lead me to a peaceful death.” Neil knew when his past caught him and death came, it would be anything but peaceful. It was his mother’s best way to remedy that.

“My mother wore the markings of Andruil”. Neil spoke before he could stop himself. He could barely picture her tattoos in his mind, they were always hidden with charms. _Blood and Force_ , his mother had always said, _that is the way of the Great Hunter_.

Neil looked over and found Renee smiling at him. “They’re beautiful.” He looked away.

They continued checking the city perimeter, adding extra support and traps where they saw fit. They were near finished when Renee picked up the conversation again.

“Andrew tells me he offered you a deal.”

Neil’s hands slowed as he worked the knotting of a lure.

“What else did he tell you?”

“Nothing. We have an understanding that way. He is very much like us.” Neil hands stopped completely. Renee has seen through him so easily. He wanted to deny he was like her, but knew it was a lie bigger than he could tell.

Renee spoke without even glancing at Neil. “Do you plan to accept?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Andrew will always allow you a choice.” Neil briefly thought back to when Andrew drugged him at the tavern, but shook his head. Potential dangers and enemies do not get offered mercy. Neil would have done the same, _had_ done the same, and knew Renee understood as well.

“I doubt he could protect me from what’s after me.”

Renee smiled. “You might be surprised.”

 

* * *

 

 

Matt had only flashed Kevin a glare when he came to collect Neil that night. Neil had been startled; he hadn’t expected Kevin to wish to continue the night practices once he’d learned his true identity. When he asked the swordsman, he had cursed Neil’s stupidity.

 “You are even more valuable to me now. You know how to fight like a Tevinter – like a Raven, in blade and magic”  He turned to face Neil and tossed a staff for him to catch. Neil let it clatter to the ground.

Neil could hear Andrew’s laughter from the bench. Kevin was livid.

 “Don’t be stupid! You need to train! Riko-“

“Who I am not and I won’t pretend to be him for you.” Neil snapped, meeting Kevin’s hot anger with cold ice. If the man thought he’d bend to his will, he was mistaken “I’ll fight as myself and no one else. “

Neil walked past Kevin to the armory, not sparing him a second glance. When he passed Andrew laughed.

“Told him you wouldn’t go for it,” Andrew’s grin was wide and smug, but his eyes were dull. His calming potion was still in effect, but it was fading fast. “You’re a puppet with not strings.”

“I’m no one’s puppet.”

Andrew clicked his tongue. “We’ll see.”

The staff was back on the wall when Neil returned to the main room. Kevin’s face was purposefully neutral, but his sword gave him away – quick and strong, a fury of strikes that left little room for Neil to parry. If Neil hadn’t been equally angry, his strategy might have worked. Instead, Neil met him with equal force, attacking with every trick up his sleeve, and though Kevin adjusted to each shift in style, Neil broke his defense repeatedly, sending Kevin soaring through the air to land on his butt.

The sixth time he sent skidding to the ground, his sword landing with a clash besides him, Kevin ripped of his helmet and stomped towards the armory. He said nothing to Neil, but Neil could make out the man’s furious mutterings _stupid, ungrateful, don’t know what’s good for them_. It told him practice was over.

Neil switched his attention to Andrew instead. He was lying across the bench as if asleep, and Nil would’ve thought he was if his eyes didn’t flash open when Neil came within reach. By the sheer emptiness in his eyes, it was easy to tell me was sober.

“I have questions.” Neil spoke in Orlesian, in the off chance Kevin overheard them. Andrew responded the same.

“And I don’t have answers.” Andrew drawled, moving into a seated position, “Renee told me you’d try though.”

Neil kept his face calm. He hadn’t realized they’d spoken since he’d seen them both last.

“Why try to help me?”

Andrew snorted, but said nothing else. Neil sat beside him, straddling the bench to face him. He tried again.

“Why offer me a deal?”

“Better.” Andrew turned to meet Neil’s gaze. “How about a game? We’ll do the honesty thing again. You’re going to be perfectly honest with me and tell me what I have to do to keep you here, _permanently_.”

“Not happening.”

“From how I see it, we’re all dead when the Ravens come South. What’s stopping you?” Andrew was watching Neil. He knew he was right. When the Ravens arrive nothing and no one would survive, and Riko would pave the path to his ascension with their blood. The question was whether or not the Foxes could stop Riko from ever touching the throne of the Maker.

Neil doubted they could, not as the fractured mess of a team they were. Their only chance was if they could work together, if Neil could force them to work together. It was the only way any of them would survive.

Neil voice was quiet when he finally spoke. “Can you protect me from my past?”

Andrew challenged him back. “Can you keep Kevin here? You’re the only thing stopping him from imploding at the mere mention of Riko.”

“I’ve already proven I can.” Neil thought back to the when Riko had Kevin in his grasps at the manor and how Neil had healed the swordsman’s hand just yesterday. The only reason the man was still breathing with the Foxes was because of Neil.

“And you’ve almost killed yourself in the process.” Andrew’s gaze was flat and unimpressed, “Seems I’ve proved myself as well.”

They were locked in place, blue meeting hazel until one of them conceded. It felt like minutes before Neil finally lowered his gaze and sighed.

“I’ll keep Kevin here. I’ll make sure he survives this.”

“And I’ll make sure you survive.” Andrew reached out his hand and tapped two fingers on Neil neck, right where his pulse would be, before retracting. He stood and converted his fingers into his trademark salute, before walking away.

Neil didn’t turn to see Kevin and Andrew leave, only listening to their footsteps as the ascended the stairs. He waited a few moments, letting himself muse over his thought before following. He raised his own two fingers to where Andrew had tapped his neck. He was breaking every rule his mother had given him, and yet his pulse was calm.  Somehow, along the way, the Foxes had become his home and somehow, Neil didn’t know how, but Andrew had cemented the concept in his mind. His mother’s teachings had kept him alive, but this was the first time he felt he was truly living.

 

* * *

 

 

Neil awoke at his normal time the next morning, just before dawn’s early rays began streaking the sky. He was glad to find the rest of the Court asleep as he rose, and was able to head out for early run. It was a new sensation. Running had always come natural to him, but this was the first time his heart and mind agreed on his destination to return to, rather than running just to run. It made him feel grounded.

It wasn’t until Neil had finished washing up and had returned to the main room that he found signs of life in the Foxhole Court. Matt was slumped over one of the tables and offered him a bleary good morning as he passed by. Dan simply grunted from beneath her arms, trying to hide her face from the early sunrays.

 “I hate mornings.” She groaned, while Matt soothingly patted her on the back.

The other Foxes slowly began to shuffle in and for the first time since he’d joined them, all members were present at the table willingly. Wymack had issued no early morning meeting, it was just breakfast.  The older Foxes and Andrew’s lot didn’t mingle with the exception of Neil and Renee, but it was still the greatest sense of solidarity Neil had seen.

Allison didn’t join them and nobody expected her to.

“I’ll grab a plate for her and bring it up later.” Renee had told them with a small smile.

Wymack even more surprised than Neil when he stumbled into the court, freezing when he saw them all at the table. A quiet mutter of _not paid enough for this shit_ , and he was barging towards the table, dropping his armful of rolled parchments onto its surface. Only a couple landed in half-eaten bowls of porridge.

“Since all of you bums are lazing about, might as well have you do some work.” He barked.

“Captain, come oon.” Nicky complained, dragging his bowl out of the way of more incoming fire.

Wymack spoke over him, “Abby and Betsy aren’t here so it’s up to you guys to pick up the slack. I’m already up to my ears in reports thanks to the attack, so you lot are in charge of civilian correspondences.”

Dan reached out and unfurled one of the parchments in front of her. She balked at its contents.

“ _The_ _Ferelden Royalty_!” She sputtered, “Sir, I don’t think this counts as civilian-“

“Lieutenant, I don’t care. You are all fully capable of addressing any of these shits.” Wymack crossed his arms and leveled his gaze across the table. A small sigh escaped his mouth and he scrubbed his face before he turned his back on them and began to walk away, “I’ll be in my office. Don’t bother me.” He slammed the door shut behind him.

Dan sighed in frustration, but quickly started distributing the letters equally throughout the Foxes. He waited for her to finish and everyone to get situated before asking:

“Who’re Abby and Betsy?” Neil had heard an Abby come up in conversations, but never with a Betsy.

Matt’s face was shocked before smoothing out into understanding. “Oh, you’ve haven’t met them yet have you? They’ve been in Orlais smoothing out trade deals for us for the past months or so. They should be returning in a few days so you’ll see them then!”

 “What do they do?” Neil asked, brows furrowed. He wasn’t keen on meeting any new people, especially if they already had more information on him than he had on them. He heard Kevin snort besides him.

“If you are to be a proper Fox you must know and use the resources available to you.” Kevin snapped. Neil would’ve snapped back, but Kevin went on to answer his question in length. “Abigail Winfield is the Foxes primary healer. She specializes in magical and herbal remedies to treat physical ailments.  Betsy Dobson is an ambassador for the Foxes, and her skillset as a prior bard makes her ideal to help more emotional issues.”

Nicky nodded sagely. “Abby saves us physically, and Betsy saves us mentally.”

Neil nodded, still wary about the prospect of their visit but turned his attention to the parchments. He was barely able to make it half-way through his – something about darkspawn and cows – when laughter erupted further down the table.

Andrew was curled in on himself, gasping for breath between laughs, a paper crumbled in his fist.

“What…who is it?” Nicky asked tentatively, trying to peak a look at the words. Before he could get close enough, Andrew abruptly stood, and ripped the paper in two. He let it flutter beneath the table. The laughter had disappeared from his throat as quickly as it had begun.

“Just a pig wondering how we are. How quaint.” Andrew smiled brightly as his cousin and then immediately looked to Dan. “I think I’m coming down with something. Cough cough. Best I leave you to it and go rest.”  He turned from them all and headed to the stairs down to the straining rooms, rather than heading upstairs to the bedrooms. He paused at the top of the stairs.

“Come Kevin.” He said, before he disappeared below.

Kevin stood to follow and was half-way there when he turned to look at Neil.

“We’re checking inventory. You should come.” It was easy to tell his message was only for Neil and before he could even respond, Dan spoke up.

“No Kevin. Leave if you want, but you’re not taking Neil. I already turn too much of a blind-eye for you. Don’t push you luck.”

Kevin sputtered, but held his tongue, there was obvious fury in Dan’s voice. He casted Neil a meaningful glance.  Neil met it with indifference. Kevin sputtered a second time and turned on his heels, stomping the remaining distance to the training room.

Dan sighed and flopped down in her chair. “Ugh, the nerve. If he thinks I’ll let him bedridden Neil again, he can kiss those night practices goodbye too.” Dan muttered and crossed her arms. Matt gently brought a hand down and patted her head.

“I’m-“ Neil began to say.

“Nope. Not hearing it. Good try though Neil.” Dan waved her arm as if to shoo Neil’s words away as Matt turned his attention to Nicky and Aaron.

“So, what was all the about with Andrew in the first place?”

 Nicky had bent down and snatched up the crumpled and torn parchment. He lifted it up and quickly skimming the lines. He shrugged.

“Not sure. Andrew smeared most of the ink so it’d hard to read – Oh.” Nicky turned to Aaron, whose face turned blank at Nicky’s next words. “It’s from Higgins.”

“Who?” Dan asked.

Nicky gave a shy look “Oh, no one really, he’s just a knight-“

“He was the one who told me I had a brother.” Aaron stood from the table without another word and quickly walked up the stairs. The room was silent as the watched him, and it was easy to hear the dull thud of a door slamming from the upstairs. Nicky flinched with it.

“Uh, yea. It’s kinda a tough situation.” Nicky sighed, dropping into his chair and bringing his hands to his hair.

“You don’t have to share-“ Matt began.

 “No, no! I do! We owe you guys that much, even if they’ll never admit it.” Neil heard Dan mutter _Damn straight_ , underneath her breath. Nicky gave a bitter laugh before continuing. “You see, we’re - the Hemmick’s are considered one of the more proficient Orlesian mage families. The fact my Aunt Tilda had bedded and sired a dwarf’s children was a bit of a black spot upon the family. She was apparently supposed to give them both up, but couldn’t do it. So she kept Aaron.  She was hoping the secret would stay buried forever.”

“But Aaron found out,” Neil said.

Nicky flashed Neil a tight-lipped smile. “Yea, and that’s why I believe in fate. Aaron had just been accepted into the Orlesian mage circle – I had sponsored him and everything, when this knight walked up to him. Aaron through he was either crazy or confused, but it didn’t take long for the knight to recognize Aaron’s garb and figure out something was wrong.”

“Higgins,” Matt guessed.

“Yea. Well, Higgins figured he had to wrong brother and ended up talking to Aunt Tilda. He took their home address and gave it to the family that had taken Andrew in, but she never bothered returning a single letter. Aaron said she didn’t even open them, simply sent them one of her own saying never to contact her. Aaron read all the messages though, even hers. That’s how he found out the truth.

“Aaron eventually went behind her back to contact Andrew. Andrew wasn’t receptive, told Aaron to fuck off,  but the family that took him in were and they were well known - Fereldens, not nobles, but pretty wealthy regardless. Rumors had begun to spread and it was starting to look bad for the family. My dad intervened and turned it into a whole show: _the benevolent Hemmicks taking in their wayward son_. He basically forced Aunt Tilda to take back Andrew. It was kinda a shit show. Aaron and Andrew have only actually known each other for three years, y’know.”

“That’s messed up,” Matt said.

“Yea, and that the short version of the story. It gets worse when Andrew learned Aunt Tilda was having Aaron guzzle Lyrium potions left and right to make his magic stronger. It was bad, really bad. I hadn’t even realized, should’ve been around more.“ Nicky voice was getting quieter and he was blankly looking at the parchment in front of him. Neil remembered Nicky's pained smile when he had asked the mage why Aaron didn't take lyrium potions nearly a week ago. He felt he understood now.

Nicky looked up when he spoke next, “That’s why with Matt-“

“Nicky stop.” Dan’s voice was hard, and Neil saw a fury in her eyes he’d never seen before.

“I just wanted to apologize-“

“Nicky-“ There was a warning in her voice.

“Dan, it’s okay.” Matt spoke quickly, putting his hand on her shoulder, “It wasn’t the most delicate method, but it did get me clean.”

“I swear if they didn’t have your mother’s permission…” Dan ranted quietly, but let the old fire fade with each breath.

The room grew quiet as everyone took in what was said. Neil wasn’t sure what they were referring to, but guessed it had something to do with the multicolored veins running up and down Matt’s arms; the tell-tale sign of lyrium poison.

Renee was the first to break the silence.

“I don’t believe Neil’s heard the story yet.” Renee directed her voice to Matt, but met Neil’s eyes as she spoke.

“Oh shit, you’re right! Sorry man, don’t mean to keep leaving you out!” Matt slapped Neil on the back with an apologetic grin.

“It fine.” Neil shrugged. It really wasn’t any of his business.

“Still, it’s not cool. I told you my dad was a merchant, yea?” Neil nodded so Matt continued. “Well he liked to party it up with the other merchants and there was lot of lyrium abuse there, _a lot_. He often brought me along, called it our family bonding and encouraged me to try it. I got hooked _hard_. My mom got me clean, but it didn’t stop my cravings. When Andrew’s lot joined the Foxes, it took him maybe 5 seconds to figure me out. He offered me some. I took it. Worst experience of my life, but I never want to touch the stuff again.”

Neil gaped at him. “And you’re okay with that?” Matt shrugged.

“Not really, but it worked.” He glanced over at Nicky, “I’m not saying I forgive you guys, but I don’t hold any spite, especially since I now know where it was coming from.”

He whistled and ran a hand across his hair, dislodging some of his spikes. “Damn, imagine how fucked I would’ve been against the Red Horrors? That would’ve been bad. Very bad.”  Neil could see Dan blanch besides Matt.

“Nope! We’re not even going to think about that. Let’s get this paper work done and then get so drunk we don’t even remember our names!” Dan stood and shouted besides Matt, “That’s an official order!”

“Whooo!” Nicky and Matt jumped up at the prospect and grabbed the nearest parchments.  Dan’s face split into a wide smile as she surveyed the room, and grabbed her own papers. Neil had never seen any of them so motivated.

True to word, they finished as the sun set, and Nicky, Dan and Matt all shared from their private collections for the festivities. At some point, Renee left to grab Allison, and he was surprised to see the archer descend the stairs. He hadn’t seen her in days. She looked like a mess, eyes dark and swollen from tears and no sleep, but there was strength in her steps. When she reached the table, she grabbed the nearest bottle and chugged until it was empty to Dan’s and Nicky’s cheers.

The celebration made for some interesting games of cards.

 

* * *

 

 

Frantic clamoring down the steps startled Neil and Matt from their busy work the next day. Dan had given them the simply task of polishing the armory, as she hid under one of the large tables in the main room – trying to block the sun, the noise and her headache all at once. Matt was in little condition for any work either, but somehow Neil had managed to lumber the giant down the stairs, who had been resting his head against the cool, smooth surface of the nearest breastplate, ever since.  

“Ugh” Matt groaned, as the steps got louder and closer, and wearily trained his eyes on the entrance with Neil. A wild-eyed Nicky appeared seconds later. He looked haggard from the night of drinking, but that didn’t stop him from lunging at Neil.

“Oh thank the Mark!” Nicky stretched his arm out pleadingly, “I need help!”

 “You okay man?” Matt asked.

 “No! I got a letter.” Nicky spoke frantically, like mail was the worst evil a person could receive. Matt and Neil shared a look.

“And?” Neil gestured with his hand.

“It-it’s from my dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep forgetting to write Abby and Bee into the story so mentioned them make sure I do. I am obligated now.  
> I'm going to be keeping the chapters on the shorter side (relative to the last few), since I'm not a proficient writer and I don't want them to take forever. This will cause cliff-endings and will probably cause it to take another chapter until a legit mission/major plot point occurs.
> 
> Next chapter: What's in the letter? Is it a new mission!? Probably. Neil and Andrew bonding? Yup.


	9. The Snake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neil meets the Hemmicks and everything goes as well as expected. Warning: Mentions of rape and self-harm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahaha! Happy New Year! It's been 6 months since the last update!  
> Since its been a while:  
> Ferelden - Where Millport and the Palmetto will be located.  
> Orlais - Where Nicky, Aaron and Andrew are from.  
> Tevinter - Ravens are based here as well as the Butcher.
> 
> Races (besides human):  
> Elves- in the Dragon Age world are heavily discriminated against. There's City Elves - who life with humans but in essentially ghettos, and Dalish who live in the wild and practice what little still remains of their culture. Dalish elves have facial tattoos (vallaslin) in dedication to a particular Elven God.  
> \- Neil's mother was Dalish. His tattoos represent the Elven God of Death.  
> Dwarves- generally keep to themselves. They're magic resistant.  
> \- Twinyards are half-dwarf.
> 
> Quick refresher because it's literally been half a year: Neil is a blood mage, which is generally bad magic, but hiding that aspect of himself and operating as a rogue. Riko attacked Palmetto with red-lyrium (Red lyrium is basically solid magic but ~evil~) affected people (red horrors or monsters), Seth died and Neil saved Kevin from being a zombie. In the aftermath, the Foxes bonded, Nicky told them about the Twinyards situation, Andrew got a letter from Higgins, and Nicky got a letter from his dad.
> 
> I don't have a Beta so if anything isn't quite making sense please point it out to me so I can fix it and tell me how the fix is! Thank you!

_“My dad – Luther, he says he has a mission for the Foxes.”_

_Nicky had been panicked, holding his father’s letter like it burned._

_“He claims they found a mine of Red Lyrium in Orlesia. He said he could have asked the mage circles to take care of it, but says he wants to see his family again – to go on missions like old times.”_

_Matt shrugged. “So what’s the issue? It’s just a mission. Go in and destroy the mine, and get out.”_

_Nicky shook his head. “Usually he has some sort of ulterior motive. I mean, Luther’s only ever cared about the legacy of the family, never what was best for any of us. This isn’t like him. Normally I would tear the messages to shred but…”_

_“But what?” Neil asked._

_He looked up._

_“It’s red lyrium. It not something we can ignore or let fall into the wrong hands, especially not after happened, and…” Nick pauses again. “He, he said my mom would be coming too and… I miss her.”_

_Neil thought about his own mom, how he would give anything to see her again. He didn’t want Nicky’s relationship with his mom to end the same way – raw and cut short. Nicky’s eyes were searching for a lifeline, and Neil intended to help._

_“What do you need me to do?”_

 

 

A week later and there they were, shifting through the sands and unbearable heat of the Hissing Wastelands. The coordinates Luther had given them led straight to the heart of the desert and Neil was cursing every step.

“Never seen an elf out of their element before. Tell me Neil, do you usually make such poor survival choices?” Neil looked up to see Andrew’s wide grin fill his sweat soaked vision. The half-dwarf had taken his calming potion – they were supposed to meet Luther in a few hours, and things would quickly go to hell if the mage realized Andrew was sober. Rather than Andrew’s words, what truly pissed him off was where sweat was pouring off Neil’s skin in sheets, Andrew’s skin didn’t even shine.

“Fuck off,” Neil spat– he could barely feel his limbs, it was the most useless and non-threatening he’d been in a while. Andrew quirked an eyebrow at him and laughed.

“No no no, this was your choice remember. I told you to stick Luther’s letter where the sun doesn’t shine. Accept some responsibility.” Andrew smirked and sent Neil his usual mocking salute, before picking up his pace to rejoin Kevin’s side.

If Neil had the energy he would’ve knocked Andrew on his ass. As it was, he was barely keeping pace with the others and with every passing moment, they seemed to grow hazier and further away. Elves, Neil decided, truly were not made for the desert heat. He now understood why his mom always stayed clear of them.

Neil used his sleeve to wipe the sweat off his forward. He felt like death, but that was hardly a new experience. Damn if was going to let Andrew be right about him. Neil had survived worse on pure will and this time he had anger and spit to back it up. He stepped forward with renewed vigor.

 “We’re less than an hour. Why don’t we take a rest, and gather our strength?” As soon as Nicky’s voice reached Neil’s ears, he threw his pack down, and immediately collapsed on top of it. He knew the rest was predominately for him and for once, he wasn’t complaining. He could hear Andrew’s sniggering to his side, and limply threw up his middle finger.

It felt like hours since Neil had last told Andrew to fuck off. A quick glance at the sun’s position told him it had barely been one. He couldn’t help but groaning.

Resting there in the desert heat, Neil deeply wished he had ignored Nicky – listened to Andrew instead, but no, Neil had to be the only one who actually _cared_. He quietly decided between pants that caring was not one of his strong suits and he should never do it again.

“Hey”, Neil opened his eyes to find Nicky standing above him. He had a flask of water outstretched to Neil. If Neil wasn’t already slightly delirious he would’ve sworn Nicky had a halo. “You holding up okay?”

Neil shifted his body to grab the cup and drank it slowly, savoring every drop. He still felt parched afterwards, but it helped. “No, but I’ll manage.”

Nicky laughed. “I was expected the usual ‘I’m fine’, Aaron owes me now – we had a small bet. Never travel the desert before?” Nicky asked as he settled beside Neil.

Neil shook his head. “Traveled once briefly before, but only at night. Wasn’t so bad then.” Neil had been young then – could barely remember his mother’s figure, dragging him across the sand for hours until his father’s men were memories behind them.

Nicky laughed again. “If exhausting you in a desert was what I needed to do to get you to open up I would’ve done it weeks ago.” Neil shot him a withering look, and Nicky sent him a sheepish smile in return. “I am grateful – for you coming, and for convincing the others.”

 Neil snorted. “All I did was ask Andrew.”

“Yea, and got him to agree. It’s more than I could’ve done.” Nicky paused and glanced over to the others, before turning back to Neil, “Did I ever tell you about why I left my family?”

Neil shook his head. Whatever the specific issues were, Nicky hadn’t brought it up before.

“Yea didn’t think so.” He exhaled slowly, “I told you before – my dad, he’s always been adamant about the family images. The mage circles can be even worse. I had to keep my sexuality hidden for years, kept pretending until I met Erik.”

Erik. Neil searched his memories for the name and landed on a few weeks ago. Seth had been catcalling Nicky about an Erik – he was one of the merchants and it was something about Nicky always insisting on needing a new staff.

“The weapon’s dealer?”

“Yea,” Nicky sighed wistfully, “Unfortunately he travels a lot, so he’s not always around. I first met him in Orlais – it was his first time there so I showed him the ropes. We hit it off, and he helped me accept myself too. Thankfully he felt the same way I felt about him and I just couldn’t hide any more. My dad, well, he wasn’t happy and he was threatening to take drastic measures. There’s an old ritual - it can change a person, make them comply. ‘The last resort of the weak mind’ he called it,” Nicky grimaced and turned to Neil, “Thought he could make me straight. I honestly think he would’ve done it if it didn’t require blood magic. He nearly did it regardless.”

Neil was familiar with the spell, had performed it himself even – a fact he wasn’t about to tell Nicky. It left the victim’s hollow, lacking in life and any semblance that made them _them_. Nicky was so _him_ , it was painful to imagine him under the spells influence.

Nicky’s voice was rough when he continued. “When Erik found out, he took me in, got me out of the mage circles, and hid me from the guards. Mages outside the circle aren’t generally smiled upon, we had to keep a low profile to not get arrested. Then when we found out the mess with Andrew and Aaron, Erik helped us all escape – hid us in the back of his caravan until we reached Ferelden. Wymack approached us in Palmetto and the rest is history.”

“Why tell me this?” Neil asked.

A wistful smile played of Nicky’s lips, one completely lacking Nicky’s usual cheer. “My father, he isn’t a nice man.”

“You mentioned that before.”

“The others already know not to trust him, know what he’s capable of. I didn’t want to leave you at the disadvantage.” Nicky faked a small laugh. “Let’s say I wanted you prepared for when everything goes to shit.” He reached out and ruffled Neil’s hair, offering him one last pained smile before standing.

“Time to head out. Let’s make good time!” Nicky clapped, voice as chipper as ever, as if their conversation hadn’t just happened.

The others staggered to their feet under Nicky’s prodding, and Neil followed theirs motions. He had just secured his pact on is back when he noticed someone’s attention on him. He turned to see Andrew, watching him intently – his face purposefully blank.

The last time Neil had seen that face on Andrew was when Neil convinced Andrew to come on this trip, to brave the desert for Nicky. It reminded Neil of the truths they shared and promises he made.

Neil blinked and Andrew’s maniac grin was back, taunting him. Neil ripped his gaze away, finished preparations, and only turned back when they began moving. He almost felt disappointed to see Andrew’s attention elsewhere and reluctantly followed – memories lost in the conversation they shared a week ago.

 

 

 _Neil had climbed the stairs from the armory without looking back_ – he didn’t want to see Nicky’s misplaced gratitude. He had no idea how he was supposed to convince Andrew to take the request, especially when it involved traveling to the gods forsaken desert for a man he already knew Andrew hated.

He didn’t get much time to plan. Andrew’s lot was sprawled around the main room as soon as he opened the door at the top of the stairs. Neil would have to wing it.

“Oh, Neil!” Andrew spoke up when he saw him approaching them, the smile on his face growing wider. “Hello.”

“Can we talk?”

“Hmm, not sure. I’m a little busy right now.” Andrew had a small paper glider folded from spare parchment in his hand. He looked like he was just about the launch it, “I’d try again later.”

He released the glider and let it soar towards Kevin. Neil could feel his patience tested, reached out and snatched it out of the air.

Andrew turned to meet his eyes, and Neil noticed the smile twitch.

“Two minutes.” Neil said,

“So persistent.”

Andrew stood and shuffled towards the kitchen, at a deliberately slow pace. Neil followed him and shoved the door shut behind them. When he turned Andrew was only a couple feet away from him, obviously within striking distance. It made Neil uncomfortable, and from Andrew’s purposefully casual demeanor, he knew.

 “You have my attention; now keep it.” Andrew drawled, leaning nonchalantly against one of the counters.

“Luther sent the Foxes a mission.”

Andrew clicked his tongue in thought, “It doesn’t concern me. He can do whatever,” and pushed himself off the counter. A twist of his heels and he took a couple steps for the door.

Neil raised his arm to block the exit. It was a superficial action, but it stopped Andrew all the same.

“His conditions are that you, Aaron, and Nicky accompany him.”

Andrew raised an eyebrow, but didn’t try to break Neil’s arm. Neil took that as a success.

“He must be stupid if he thinks I’m going anywhere with him. Problem solved. Mission denied.”

“It’s involves red lyrium.” Neil spoke quickly, “Luther found a mine. He’s seeking help to destroy it. “

“Then he can seek help elsewhere.” Andrew shrugged.

“Why won’t you go?”

“Luther is more snake than man. If I wanted to help a snake I’d throw some dead mice outside. Why would I go?”

“For Nicky, maybe even Aaron. You might not want to see them, but Nicky does. He wants to make things right.” Neil was grasping at straws and Andrew knew it – the look he shot Neil was thoroughly unimpressed.

“And why do you care? Give me something real to consider and maybe I’ll give you something in return.”

Neil paused. He hadn’t expected this conversation to go this way. It seemed strikingly similar to their previous conversations.

“Are we doing the honesty thing again?”

“If that’s what it takes.”

“Nicky wants to see his mother.”

“And she thinks he’s an unnatural blight on mage kind.” Andrew raised his eyebrows as if to say continue.

“I –“ Neil steeled himself, “When my mother died I burned her corpse and buried her bones. We were the only support we had for each other. She taught me everything I know. She was all I had. I would be dead if it wasn’t for her.” Neil took a second to compose himself, “He just wants to see his mother again. He doesn’t want to lose her. You can understand that, right?  Didn’t you lose your mother?”

“Never had one.” There were no lies in Andrew’s eyes and he regarded Neil with disinterest before shifting to inspect the wall. “I almost did, but that was a long time ago.”

Neil thought back to Nicky’s story the other night, of the family who taken Andrew in.

“The Fereldan family – the Spears.”

Andrew paused and turned to Neil. Despite his purposeful nonchalance and the haze caused by calming potion, Neil noticed a stiffness to his body.

“Hmm, so Nicky’s been talking, not sure I like the subject.” Andrew let out a laugh, “Funny how some things just keep popping up.”

Neil blinked at Andrew. As far as he knew, Nicky was the only one to mention the Spears – it wasn’t like the others ever approached Andrew to talk, outside of Kevin’s insistence for more training. It was a stretch, but the only other place the Spears could have been mentioned was got Nicky talking in the first place.

“What was in that letter yesterday? What did Higgins want?” Neil asked. Andrew lost his casual demeanor for a moment, entire body seeming to freeze, before he doubled over in laughter.

“Oooh, straight for the jugular! I keep forgetting you’re shrewder than you look.” He smirked at Neil. “I’m going to want something extra for that answer.”

“Fine.” Neil nodded, and arched his eyebrow the same as Andrew had, signaling Andrew to continue. Neil saw a flash of anger behind Andrew’s eyes before the haze took back over. When he opened his mouth to speak it was a disimpassioned mockery of the Ferelden accent – Neil could only assume it was in mockery of Higgins himself.

“Recently children have been getting sick. Normally the Ferelden Council wouldn’t give two shits about orphans dropping dead, but it’s a concern when each one is coming from the Spears. The pig reported their symptoms, each one seemed to develop psychological changes - possessive, paranoid, a few were even violent. The more intense cases, their flesh was pale and they complained of pain. His report described them as ‘living corpse’ and he said it took little time for the children to become actual corpses - and that was for the ones they found."

Neil listed off the children’s symptoms in his head. They were eerily familiar.

"Red lyrium poisoning."

"Ding ding, correct! Seeing as I was under their care for a great many years, he wanted to know if the man of the house had a stash. He is a Templar after all." Andrew shrugged and turned from Neil, taking his initial position back on the counter.

Neil understood the implication behind Andrew’s words. Templar’s were an order knights who worked for the Chantry – religious, zealous, and essentially against everyone who wasn’t a Maker supporting human. His mother and him had always stayed clear of Templar’s. They were known for hunting rogue mages, and Dalish elves weren’t much better to them.  To keep up their regime they consumed raw lyrium to strengthen themselves. He’d often heard whispers of some consuming red lyrium for the extra power boost, despite the consequences and taboo attached to the material.

"Does he?" Neil asked, trying to hide his interest. A red lyrium powered Templar was bad news for everything he stood for.

"Richard Spear is an uninteresting and harmless man. They'll find nothing from him." Andrew drawled, seemingly disinterested by the entire concept.

Neil thought back to Andrew’s outburst from the table. It was an extreme reaction to a simple knight’s accusation. It didn’t match Andrew’s current indifference.

“But someone else in the house does?” It wasn’t hard for nobles to get their hands on illegal substances, everything has a price. His mother and him had taken advantage of that fact countless times.

Andrew narrowed his eyes at Neil. “I never said that.”

“You didn’t have to.” Neil paused, “Was it the Lady?”

“Cass? No, she wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Andrew snorted and waved his hand, dismissing the idea. Neil searched his face, trying to find some other hidden truth. Guessing wasn’t easy when he knew little of the Spears, but whoever it was had to predate Andrew’s brief addition to the family.

“A heir then? A son or daughter followed their father’s footsteps?” He’d heard perspective Templar’s were often given lyrium samples before joining to ensure they didn’t have a ‘reaction.’

Andrew scoffed at him. “You’re nosier than you look too. This bores me and will go nowhere.” Andrew tapped his temple, “You were trying to convince me of the impossible, remember.”

“Which was also going nowhere.” Neil furrowed his brow at him. He couldn’t read Andrew, “Why not help Higgins? Unless it really was a misunderstanding?”

“Only a snake would believe in misunderstandings.” Andrew scoffed. So it was another family member, but Andrew’s reaction confused Neil.

“That seems a bit harsh-,” Neil paused, and thought back to only a minute ago. _A snake_. “You told Luther?” 

Andrew look surprised for a split second, before returning to supposed nonchalance. “Close. Luther said he’d let me stay with the Spears – that he’d intertwine the two families to keep his image. I told him a secret to ensure he didn’t.”

“And he called it a misunderstanding - called you liar.” Neil didn’t understand why a circle mage like Luther wouldn’t immediately investigate a claim on red lyrium; there was something important Neil was missing.

Andrew spoke slowly, in a casual tone, but Neil could hear the fire burning beneath it. “And that’s a thousand times worse. My secrets are not given out lightly. You of all would understand that.”

Neil was silent, pondering.

“Maybe he’s sorry now.”

Andrew laughed, and Neil had to agree. From what he’d grasped so far, Luther was an ambitious, uncaring man. Men like him did not apologize. He needed to try a different angle.

“Regardless of Luther, it’s a red lyrium mine. Riko can’t get his hands on it, or they’ll be more people, more children dying. You want to protect Kevin. Wouldn’t this be a main factor to that?”

“Protect Kevin by directly leading him to a snake? Don’t try to appeal to my better nature Neil. You’ll be disappointed.” Andrew pushed himself off the counter again, and began to walk forward. Neil was afraid he lost him for real this time. “I’m sure the Orlesian mage circles are more than adapt to handle the situation.”

 “What if I go?” Neil said quickly. Andrew stopped in his tracks. “You said I owed you more for the answer. I’ll suffer through Luther with you, and keep Kevin from getting bitten.”

Andrew looked fully at Neil then, face carefully blank. He stepped forward, until he was only inches from Neil’s face. He reached up and grabbed a hold of Neil’s chin.

 “You - an Elvish Tevinter Runaway Slave and Apostate Mage who specializes in the illegal art of blood magic. And what’s better? Your front is a Dalish Rogue Assassin with a knack for breaking and entering.”

Andrew laughed, and gripped Neil tighter. “There’s no way you could work together with a man like Luther – he’d snap your neck the second he gets a whiff of you. Sounds like its more trouble for me.”

Neil shrugged. “It could be interesting.”

Andrew paused and released his grip. “It could be.”

“Then why not? We’ll all go, Kevin included. You can harass me instead of Luther. Luther will harass me instead of you. Imagine how uncomfortable he’ll be.”

“Appealing to my entertainment is a cheap trick.”

“You said it yourself, I’m a degenerate. What did you expect?”

Andrew stared blankly at him, amusement not present.

Neil sighed. “Nicky wants to see his mother. You can’t understand that, but he has to give them another try. This will be the breaking point. Either she’ll accept him or send him away. Either way he’ll get closure. _And_ it prevents Riko from getting any stronger than he needs to be.”

Andrew was silent. “One last chance,” he said, “then Luther is purged as a contact for all time. We leave in the next few days or we don’t leave at all. Go scurry off and tell Nicky.”

Andrew walked past Neil then and disappeared through the door. Neil could hear him muttering beneath his breath, in a sing-song voice.

 “ _Nicky’ll be filled with dread, when Luther winds up dead_.”

 

* * *

 

 

True to Nicky’s word, not even a full hour passed before large rock formations began to appear on the horizon, breaking up the monotony of constant sand. As they drew nearer, it became easier for Neil to make out the individual formations. The largest one was different from the others, carved with an ornate face, one of intersecting woven spirals and magic symbols that Neil both recognized and didn’t.

“There it is!” Nicky called out, “Orlesia’s own illegal lyrium mine!”

“Remind me. Who builds mines in the middle of the desert, again?” Aaron asked as he came besides Nicky. He pulled at his cloak in discomfort, obviously not a fan of the heat either.

“The area actually used to be forest. Encroaching sands destroyed the trees’ roots centuries ago. There are numerous accounts that speak of the areas past beauty if you’re curious,” Kevin began.

“Not interested.” Aaron rolled his eyes, and quickened his pace towards the mine entrance. Kevin sputtered a little in his tracts, but followed soon after.

When they reached the mine entrance, Neil was surprised to find no cracks or openings. To the naked eye it was nothing but a carved rock face. He turned from the rock, his lock picking skills useless in this situation and the wide grin on Nicky’s face.

“Don’t worry, I got this!” He stepped forward with his staff already flourished. With his hand on the face, he muttered quick spell Neil didn’t recognize and the entire wall began to glow with a green light. Nicky stepped back then, and they all watched as mine face opened to reveal a dark hallway.

 “I’ll lead the way. Watch your step.” A tap of his staff and the end of Nicky’s staff erupted in blue flame, as a make-shift torch. The hallway quickly descended into stairs as Nicky led the way. When the path finally opened into a larger cavern, it was no question that they were a significant distance below the surface level.

They quietly stepped into the cavern. The entire space seemed to curve, making it impossible to know what was further into the mines, but for the section they were in, it was obvious it hadn’t been touched in years. Majority of the space was taken up with mining equipment, most of it old that already crumbled with time, but some basic set up survived. Ropes and chains hanged across the ceiling, some dangling to reachable heights, and others that disappeared into dark mining shafts dug straight into the ground.  The only sign of life were large mining carts strewn across the room that looked they had been moved recently.

They trudged forward.

Neil felt the red lyrium before he saw it and was unsurprised when they took the bend, and found veins of red mineral growing like plant roots across the cave waves, pulsing with chaotic energy. It was the same sinister energy as before; a power that resonated with his blood, promised strength, but would consume him in the process. Unlike before, he easily ignored the sensation and barely felt affected. He wondered if this had to do with new resolve, or if Andrew’s presence had an influence somehow – the half-dwarf had somehow dulled its influence over Neil before.

 “My parents should be up ahead. They said to meet them at the old mining station.” Nicky spoke quietly as they walked, “They said this used to be an old iron mine. It wasn’t until recently that red lyrium was introduced to the site – stuff grows like a weed.” He wrinkled his nose at the stones jutting out of the walls.

 “Thankfully there hasn’t been any reported activity since the mine’s discovery.” Nicky continued as they entered another, larger section of the cavern.

Signs of activity were becoming more apparent; equipment was strewn across the floor, and multiple mining carts were filled with the red lyrium. Whoever was in charge of the operation hadn’t abandoned the mine until recently.

“Not like that helps. Whoever was here already harvested more than enough of the stuff.” Aaron said with disgust and pointed to a large lyrium deposit in the far cavern’s wall. A large section had been carved out of it – enough to fill multiple wagons, much more than was in the mining carts they had passed.

“Riko.” Kevin whispered, his face taking a ghastly shade.

“No, it’s too far from Tevinter.” Neil shook his head. He doubted Riko would leave the Nest to brave the desert. At best he would send his Ravens, and so far there were no hints of their presence.

Neil glanced around the larger cavern. In this section, red lyrium grew out of the walls in large spikes, covering much of the floors and bare walls. The only area that appeared unblemished was a two story mining hub in the distance, carved into the cavern wall. A warm glow of fire was emitting from the building’s numerous carved windows, and numerous torches lined its outer walls.

For a brief second, Neil thought he saw a quick shadow moved across one of the upper story windows. Neil squinted, trying to get a better look, but it had promptly disappeared. He shook his head. Maybe the red lyrium was affecting him.

“Is that the mining station?” Neil turned to Nicky and asked.

Nicky looked towards the building and paled. Neil took that as a yes. “This was mistake. Maybe, we should just head back and forget the whole thing.”

“Too late,” Andrew said, and pushed past Nicky, marching forwards towards the station.

 “Let’s all just agree to destroy the mine quick and leave as soon as possible.” Aaron sighed and followed his brother. Nicky sent Neil a quick panicked look, before he set off after Aaron, hot on his heels.

Neil and Kevin stood back for a second, watching the distance grow between them and the others.

“And I thought we had problems.” Kevin whispered, barely audible under his breath. Neil hummed in agreement. They were both raised in Tevinter, separately but similarly. They didn’t get a childhood, rather they were trained to become weapons from an early age; Kevin in warfare, Neil in magic. Their first meeting had involved multiple murders by Neil’s hand and a rift into the Fade where Kevin had witnessed multiple demons attempt to crawl into their plan of existence. Then, more recently, Neil had pulled corrupting magic from Kevin’s veins and nearly died himself.

All that seemed to pale in comparison to what awaited them.

“Good thing we’re not related.” Neil said and jogged after the others, leaving Kevin behind.

He heard Kevin curse and the sound of quick, accompanying footsteps.

Compared to the cave’s entrance, the mining station was simple with no ornate carvings and a normal wooden door attached to the carved rock on old rusted hinges – a door Nicky was nervously wrangling his hands in front of.

“It’s a door,” Aaron groaned, “just open it.”

“We can still turn back.” Nicky muttered, edging himself further from the door. A rockcrusher flew past Nicky’s head with no warning, and lodged itself straight into the door. Nicky jumped out of the way with a yelp, just as Andrew reached over, grabbed his mail, and brought it down for a second swing, completely demolishing the wooden plank.

“Oh look, its open.” Andrew said with a laugh.

“You could have simply opened it – the door was unlocked.” A woman appeared in the doorframe, her staff held in a defensive position, and her face guarded. She racked her gaze across all of them, before her eyes fell on Nicky and stayed. Maria Hemmick resembled Nicky in looks, albeit a tad shorter, but her stern expression couldn’t be any more different.

“Yea, there were some” Nicky paused and glanced at Andrew, “some difficulties.” Nicky smiled at her, polite and small. It screamed wrongness to Neil.

Maria pursed her lips made no further comment, simply tilted her staff to direct them inside the building. They moved around her and into the building. It opened up into a single room and at the back, Neil noticed a crude staircase leading to the upper floor.

 If Neil thought Nicky was sober before, he was mistaken. The only furniture in the room was a large table covered in various parchments and adorned with mismatching chairs. At the table’s head stood a tall, rack thin man, with a severe face. Based on how Nicky froze and even Aaron tensed at the sight of him, the man had to be no other than Luther Hemmick.

Luther’s head was cast down over the parchments, studying what appeared to be a map. He didn’t address them, or look up from the table’s surface until Maria left the doorframe, and came to stand besides her husband. Only then did Luther bring himself to his full height, and rake his gaze across them, much like his wife had.  Unlike with Maria though, Neil got the impression Luther was inspecting them like insects.

“Nicky, Aaron,” Luther paused before continuing, “and of course Andrew. It’s been so long.”

Nicky and Aaron stayed silent, but offered curt nods in greeting. Andrew ignored the curtesy, and offered Luther his best shit-eating grin instead.

“Hello Uncle, it hasn’t been long enough!” He spoke lightly, but Neil could hear the anger underneath.

Luther ignored Andrew, and stepped away from the table. His gaze reached for Kevin and he approached the warrior with his hand outstretched.

“Kevin Day.” Luther spoke, “Your deeds outpace you. We weren’t expecting you, but we’re grateful to have you here.”

“It’s my honor,” Kevin reached out and shook the mage’s hand, his crowd-winning smile plastered across his face. Luther, satisfied, turned to head back to the table, not bothering to spare Neil a glance. Neil had expected this from a mages of the circle – they were known to be a pretentious, inclusive sort, especially against elves.

Nicky released a panicked cough before Luther could make it far.

“Dad, ah, you’re forgetting someone. This uh, this is Neil,” Nicky spoke up despite his wavering voice, “He’s the newest member of the Foxes.”

Luther turned slowly and regarded his son for a second before switching his gaze to Neil. He looked at Neil as if he was a stain on the floor, unsightly and unwanted. “Tell me, _Neil_ , why mark yourself in images of false gods? Is the Maker not enough for your people?” Luther asked calmly, an eyebrow raised in feigned interest.

Neil had never considered himself religious, but Luther’s questions grated him. He knew the type – believers in the Maker, the creator of all, who looked down upon the elvish gods and found the facial tattoos they adorned in sacred reverence the marks of savages. The man knew what he was doing, and for once, Neil refused to rise to the bait.

 “I’d rather not get into it.”  Neil said. “I don’t want to start a fight.”

“That’s a first” Andrew laughed, “He’s usually so opinionated”.

Luther frowned at Neil. “I don’t see how it constitutes a fight. It’s a serious theological question. It’s known the Maker created all, surely you heathens -“

“Dad!” Nicky interrupted, “Just stop. You requested the Foxes aid for this mission. If this is how you’re going to ask for help, we can leave.” His voice was stronger than it was before, and Luther was taken aback by the outburst. He considered Nicky briefly.

“I suppose we can move to the topic at hand.” Luther turned and reached for one of the parchments on the table and brandished it front of him. It was the document he was looking at before and now Neil recognized it as a map of the entire mine. Across its surface, areas were marked in red.

“Maria and I have been surveying this mine for the past month. We’ve located all deposits of red lyrium that need immediate attention and requested your aid to help us scourge the area of its influence.”

“Why not ask the circles?” Aaron asked. From the set of his face, he didn’t believe in the ‘for old times’ reason Luther had given them when he asked the Foxes for aid.

“We –“ Luther shared a look with Maria, “we have reason to suspect foul play in the circle, not all are the law abiding mages they preach to be.”

Andrew snorted and Luther continued without pause. “We suspect that if we brought this mine to their attention, they may attempt to use the red lyrium for their own gains.”

“Can’t image why you’d think that.” Nicky rolled his eyes. He hadn’t spoken loudly, the words little but a whisper, but Maria’s attention snapped to him the same, a startled look on her face.

“Nicky, we’d had hoped you’d have reconsidered your views on the mage circles.”

Nicky’s jaw tightened. “Mom, no. That’ll never happen. I’m happier with the Foxes and Erik than I ever was with the circle. End of discussion.”

“Erik, he’s still-“ Maria spoke faintly and Neil could see a new hardness enter Luther’s eyes. Luther opened his mouth to comment when Aaron quickly interrupted him.

“How are we destroying the lyrium? You have some sort of plan, right?” Luther was silent for a moment, sending one last stare at his son, before he begrudgingly switched his attention back to the topic at hand.

“We’ll separate into groups. Nicky and Aaron, you already know the purification spell. Between the four of us, it shouldn’t take long to remove the red lyrium’s taint.”

Luther turned towards Kevin, Andrew, and reluctantly Neil. “Those without magic will have to work on clearing the purified lyrium. Us magic users can’t afford to waste mana.” Kevin nodded his affirmative for them.

“Use the map as a guide of where to concentrate your efforts first.” Maria moved first, brandishing her staff and headed towards the mines. They all followed her lead in turn, and filed out of the building. Just as Andrew had stepped towards the door, Luther called after him.

“Andrew, before you go, could we discuss something,” he glanced towards Neil and Kevin, who were hanging in the doorframe, “in private.”

Andrew seemed to consider Luther’s words. He turned to Neil and quirked an eyebrow.

“Kevin can stick with me in the meantime.” Neil said. Andrew nodded and retreated further into the room, as Kevin and Neil continued into the cavern. Neil perked his ears as they grew farther away. He could hear the standard mutterings of conversation, but couldn’t make out any of the words Luther and Andrew were exchanging.

“Is this really a good idea?” Kevin asked and glanced back towards the building.

“None of this was a good idea.” Neil was _really_ starting to regret listening to Nicky. 

 

* * *

 

 

Kevin and Neil worked tirelessly to retrieve the nullified lyrium fragments. It seemed to take no time at all for them to fill half a dozen mining charts, and there was already four times that amount of lyrium waiting for them. At first it felt strange to Neil, to hold the lyrium that used to pulse and reverberate with his own blood, and feel nothing. Now he just wanted all of it gone.

Kevin hoisted another empty mining chart for them to fill and paused besides Neil. In this distance they could see Nicky and his mother, incanting a particularly large deposit. As they casted, a white ring of light appeared at the base of the deposit, and the red pulsing mineral slowly faded, losing its energy and turned a dull gray. When the white light at the base faded, the red lyrium deposit was nothing but a lifeless mineral.

 “Magic can be convenient.” Kevin commented, watching Nicky and Maria part ways to move to separate, new deposits.

Neil hummed. He thought of his own magic and the torture it was often used for. “Depends on how you use it.”

Kevin glanced over Neil and nodded, before he swept his vision across the cavern and frowned. “Luther and Andrew still haven’t joined us.”

 “I wouldn’t think much of it,” Aaron spoke up from the closest lyrium deposit. “Uncle Luther can get preachy when he’s upset and he’s always upset at Andrew.” He rolled his eyes and waved his staff at the cluster.

“Watch out.” Was all the warning Aaron gave before releasing his incantation.  Unlike the others, where the spell had been a slow buildup, Aaron’s released like an explosion, stripping the lyrium of energy in an instant and causing the entire cluster to explode. Kevin and Neil both had the reflexes to dodge the flying fragments, but just barely.

“You could’ve warned us.” Neil glared at Aaron. The mage was sniggering from behind one of his shield spells.

“I did.” He shrugged, clearly amused.

Neil opened his mouth to curse the mage out when a faint shatter came from the mining station - almost like broken glass. He turned to watch the station, and if he wasn’t mistaken – swore he could see a red crackle coming from one of the windows, the same window he saw the shadow earlier.

“Neil!” Kevin called, and the crackle was gone. He was already collecting fragments under Aaron’s bored gaze, when Neil looked to him. He was ready to write off what he seen, when a muffled crash sounded from the building – not unlike the sound of a rockcrusher hitting stone.

“Kevin go to Nicky, _stay_ with him.”

“What-“ Neil didn’t bother listening to what else Kevin had to say. He was already sprinting towards the building, watching the window the entire time. As he got closer, he could make out more flashes of red energy, and with each release, the louder his blood pulsed and the surer he was something had gone terribly wrong. It reminded him of the same horrible sensation as the red monstrosities that had attacked in Palmetto – but stronger.

He didn’t stop when he reached the door frame to building, didn’t let the startled Luther stop him as he rushed up the stairs. The top door was locked, but a well-placed kick was all he needed to break through into the hallway above.

Identical doors lined both sides of the hall on the second floor. These rooms must have been where the workers slept when the mine was active. Red energy didn’t appear to be coming from any of the rooms, and he didn’t have time to wait for another flash. Neil closed his eyes, seeking out the corrupted magic he had felt outside. He located it instantly, and barely kept himself upright as its tendrils sunk into his blood. It wasn’t like before when he could easily shake off the sensation, Neil felt himself loosing himself to this energy.

A hand reached out and startled Neil out of trance. He pulled himself away from it and was surprised to find Aaron, standing in the doorframe he had just broken and panting heavily.

“Neil, what’s going on?” Aaron hissed. Neil didn’t bother to explain, and immediately set down the hall. He heard Aaron following him, which he was grateful for. Whatever was behind that door was strong; Neil couldn’t be able to beat it alone.

He stopped at the last door of the hall, backed up a step, and rushed forward, slamming his entire body in the door. Aaron let out a startled sound as the door broke straight off its hinges and fell to the ground. Neil stumbled into the room, and only had a second to take in what he saw.

A large man stood in the center of the room, built like a solider and adorned with the mark of the Templars. Like the red horrors that had attacked Palmetto and Riko, the man was crackling with chaotic energy of red lyrium, and sections of him were completely made of crystal. In his right hand, he was holding Andrew by the neck, with inhuman strength.  In his other hand he was using a small dagger to slowly slice off pieces of Andrew’s armor, most of which was already littering the floor besides Andrew’s rockcrusher and a broken bottle of mead dripping with blood.

The thing that struck Neil the most was Andrew himself. He was gripping at the hand, trying to pry it loose and flailing his legs, in a desperate attempt to get his attacked to let go. There was blood dripping from his head and a hand against his throat, and yet he was laughing ceaselessly. When he saw Neil in the doorway, he only appeared to laugh harder.

The man was saying something, but Neil wasn’t listening. For the first time, Neil was seeing red and it had nothing to do with his magic. He leapt forward with his daggers brandished, and struck at the man’s arm, severing his hold on Andrew and breaking it in at least three places. The man screamed and stumbled away from them, but Neil watched in horror as the arm straightened itself and red crystalline growths repaired his injuries.

The man jumped forward with his newly repaired arm and Neil wasn’t quick enough to dodge; the arm slammed into his side, throwing him into the wall and taking all his breath with it. Neil had barely recovered and could only duck out of the way as the man reached for him again. He was faster than both a regular Templar, and the red horrors that had attacked Palmetto. Neil hadn’t expected this level of skill and speed.

Neil didn’t have time to dodge when the man went in for another attack. He brandished his daggers to defend himself, pulling them in front of himself. Before the man hit, a heavy impact came to his side, and he crumbled in pain. Neil looked over to see Andrew, barely standing, with his rockcrusher held limply at his side and blood dripping off its tip.

Neil didn’t know how long the man would be down, but he jumped towards Andrew, grabbed him at the sections of his body where he still had full armor, and dragged him across the room to where Aaron stood, with his staff drawn and a flask in his hand.

 A guttural scream sounded behind him, and Neil all but threw them into the wall besides, as the man recovered and hurdled himself towards them. The man was barely human now, large chunks of his body made of red lyrium that grew off him in deadly spikes.

Aaron tossed one of his flasks at the man, and it erupted into an ice spell, freezing the monster where it stood. It seemed successful, until the ice cracked less than a second later, and the man freed himself with another scream.

“What the fuck!” Aaron shouted and brought up his staff, casting a quick shield spell as the monster hurdled himself on top of them. The shield was holding, but Neil could see it cracking beneath the man’s wait. A second flourish of his staff, and Aaron sent the energy of the shield outwards, throwing the man across the room and into the far wall.

“Who is that?” Neil hissed. The man was down for now, but he doubted he would be for long.

“Drake Spears,” Andrew said with a laugh, “Dear big brother. You were right Neil. Does that make you happy?” He laughed again and Neil felt sick to his stomach.

“That – that’s Drake?” Aaron had blanched and his staff was shaking in his hands. Neil looked back the monster – to Drake, and saw that the man was only humanoid in shape now – only a small portion of his face uncovered by the red lyrium growth. He was slowly regaining his footing, and his first lumbering step was towards them. When he spoke his voice was like two rocks grinding together.

“Told you Drew…. always wanted a pair…” Drake let out a low guttural laugh as he took another step, “And an elf too… never had an elf…hear elves…susceptible.”

Andrew stilled besides Neil and he could see his knuckles were white around his maul.

“What can we do?” Neil hissed. Drake was slower with his new growths, but he had no doubt he was stronger now too.

“Don’t worry Drew…..pretty…..no one’s as pretty…” Drake paused in his steps, considering them briefly and laughed again. It sounded completely inhuman this time.

Aaron’s hand tightened on his staff. “Distract him.” Aaron said, “I only need a moment.”

Neil nodded and turned to Andrew. He caught Andrew’s gaze and asked a silent question. _Can you fight?_

 Andrew snorted and turned towards Drake. “He wants to touch my brother. I will lodge my maul into his skull.” The spreading smile on Andrew’s lips screamed murder and his eyes were on Drake.

Crouching, Neil watched Drake as he began to shamble forwards once more, and waited for an opening. Just as Drake lowered his body to plunge towards them, Neil sprang forward, meeting him in the middle of the room. He dodged Drake’s hulking arms, flipped across his body, and managed to lodge two daggers between his neck and shoulder blade. A twist of his blade and a deep crack’s formed in Drake’s crystalline body. He halted in his steps and shuddered, trying to shake Neil off. Neil held tight for as long as possible and pressed the daggers deeper, despite the new crystals that were growing around him.

Just as he was about to lose grip, Andrew aimed a blow to Drake’s lower leg and a sickening crack echoed across the room as the leg shattered. Neil ripped out his daggers and somersaulted off the monster’s back as Andrew made connection to Drake’s other leg, ripping through flesh and crystal alike with his maul.

Drake released another guttural scream and tried to grab at them with his arms. Neil dodged a fist coming his way, and took the advantage. He grabbed his knives and sliced down one of the arms and used his entire body to jump up, and twist the limb. The crystal gave way and the arm dislodged itself from the body.

Drake only had one arm left, but Neil could see his other limbs were quickly regenerating. A glance at Aaron told him he was still casting and Andrew had already over exerted his current injuries, he wouldn’t be able to do much more – it was amazing he had even been able to fight.

Neil fully brandished his daggers and slipped into the shadows. He simply had to distract Drake for a little longer. He crept around his form, unnoticed to the naked eye. When Drake’s uninjured arm lunged for Andrew, Neil met it, parrying the attack and lodged a dagger in his arm. He used the dagger as leverage to jump on top of the monster, and plunged two more into the section of his face that still remained human. Drake released another scream, and Neil held tight to his daggers. He barely kept himself from being thrown across the room.

Neil ripped the daggers from Drake’s flesh, and raised them again. He striked Drake in a constant barrage. With each new wound, and new crystal growth, Drake became larger and stronger, but he became slower – less human. It was terrifying to watch and Neil was relieved when he plunged his dagger straight into Drake’s spine and saw a circle of light form beneath the monster.

“Get out of the Way!” Aaron shouted and the light grew more intense.

Neil jumped from Drake’s back towards the mage, but a hand shot out and stopped him midair. Drake had caught him around the neck and began to squeeze. Neil tried to etch at the arm with his daggers, but there was no momentum beneath the strikes – just metal banging against rock. Neil could feel his vision fading as he struggled to breathe.

He felt a hand grasp his side and saw Andrew’s rockcrusher fly across his vision. The maul hit the arm with full impact and shattered it. Neil would’ve collapsed gracelessly to the floor, but Andrew’s arm hauled him away from Drake and outside the circle. They both collapsed to the ground, right as Aaron released his spell. A column of white light erupted before them and Neil watched as Drake stood thrashing, until it slowly lost mobility, the crystalline sections of his body slowly turning to stone. He released one last inhuman scream before exploding.

Neil immediately grabbed Andrew, huddling them away from the onslaught of flying Drake shards. When it was over, Andrew shoved Neil off of him and shambled to his feet. He tried to make his way over to Aaron, but nearly fell instead. Neil leapt forward and caught him. He tucked his arm into Andrew’s side, and they slowly made their way to Aaron.

 “If I throw up on you its only half intentional,” Andrew gritted between the pain. A smile was still plastered on his face, but this close Neil could see the emptiness of his eyes.

When they reached Aaron, the mage was pale and shaking.

“Are you hurt?” Andrew grabbed onto Aaron’s robes, pushing Neil aside in the process.

Aaron looked at his twin and struggled for words. “Andrew you-“

“Are you hurt?” Andrew asked again.

 “No, no I’m not hurt.” Aaron was holding Andrew in turn now, keeping him upright.

The twins were silent for a moment. Aaron was now holding Andrew in turn, keeping him fully upright, and Andrew’s hold had only become tighter on Aaron’s robes, turning his knuckles white.

 “I’m going to kill him.” Andrew growled.

“He’s dead –“ Aaron glanced at the bloody spot that was Drake. The pieces of Drake that hadn’t been completely taken over by red lyrium had exploded with the rest, leaving a rather grotesque spew of body parts and minerals.

“Not who I was talking about.” Andrew said, “Don’t worry, he’ll be here soon.”

True to Andrew’s word three sets of footsteps were coming down the hall. The first to appear in the doorway was Kevin. He made to rush towards Andrew, but when he noticed the blood and his eyes slowly trailed to Drake. A second later and Kevin fled the room with a hand over his mouth. Neil could hear retching from the hallway.

In his wake, Nicky broke into the room followed by Luther. Both froze when they saw the condition of the room.

“What in the Maker” Nicky gasped and sought his cousins. His face crumbled at the sight of them and Andrew’s bloody wounds. He reached his arm out to grasp them. “Andrew, your head –“

Neil grabbed Nicky’s hand before he could touch Andrew. He sent a questioning look Neil’s way, but a second glance at the way Aaron and Andrew held each other, and he relented.

“Not now Nicky,” Andrew spoke slowly and directed his eyes towards Luther, “I have some words for your father first.”

Luther was still frozen a few feet inside the door. Only when Andrew spoke did he turn to him. His face was pale and Neil expected him to start retching on the spot. When Andrew saw Luther’s expression, his face erupted into a smile. Neil would have thought him genially happy of Luther’s displeasure, if it wasn’t for the tightness of his knuckles, still gripping on Aaron’s clothing for support.

“Hello Luther, mind explaining to me what Drake is doing here?” He batted his eyes at the man,“It better be good.”

Luther ripped his gaze from Drake and his eyes widened further when he saw Andrew. He gaped as if to speak then closed again, firm. He looked again towards Drake, and then his entire body turned into a blur, and he was gone. Neil was stupefied for a second until he heard footsteps rushing down the hall. He recognized the spell – it was a speed spell, allowed mages to escape close encounters with little mana cost. Luther was a greater coward than Neil had ever imagined.

Andrew started laughing, and turned to Neil with a sly grin. “It’s time for you to take some responsibility. Go fetch.”

Neil was already chasing the man before Andrew finished speaking.

Hunting prey was second nature to Neil and Luther hadn’t run far. Neil slipped into the shadows, moving swiftly and silently from the room and raced down the hall. Luther was by far, the easiest prey Neil had hunted in while. Before Luther had even managed to make it fully down the steps, Neil had pounced, slamming the mana against the far wall before tackling him to the ground – his staff rolling across the floor, out of reach.

Neil pulled out a dagger and held it close to Luther’s neck. “Don’t move.”

Luther cursed, but stilled beneath Neil anyways. Neil was about to tie him up for good when a blast of energy sailed over his head, barely missing him. He could hear the wall fizzling behind him.

Neil looked up to see Maria Hemmick in the buildings doorway, staff drawn and face fierce. Energy was quickly accumulating at the top of her staff, already ready to shoot another blast of energy.

“Drop the knife.” Neil didn’t waver. Need be he could easily dodge, but he might lose Luther in the process.

“I said drop it –“ A sudden cast a light appeared beneath Maria. She shouted as the ground erupted into ice, and she was left frozen where she stood. Neil switched his attention to the top of the stairs, and saw Nicky burst through the doorway, his staff held before him and the icy blue coloring of a frost spell still reflecting off its tip.

“Sorry mom, but dad’s not getting away with this one.”

“This may hurt.” Neil said quietly from behind Luther. The mage froze beneath him and attempted to dash forward, out of Neil’s arms. All Luther managed was to graze the knife at his throat, as Neil quickly pulled it away, flipped it so the hilt was facing Luther, and promptly hit him on the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

Neil stood and assessed the room. Maria was still a frozen statue in the doorway and Luther out cold on the floor. Nicky descended the stairs to join him.

“Well, I expected this mission to go bad” Nicky released a half-laugh, “but I never expected it to go _this_ bad.”

 

* * *

 

 

It was hard to tell how much time passed exactly when underground.

The first order of business had been ensuring Andrew would be fine. Aaron had treated his wounds to the best of his ability. None of them could be certain of his mental state, but at least they knew he could walk and was no longer concussed beyond belief.

That had left cleaning the mush pile that was Drake up to Nicky, Kevin and Neil – an act that left both his companions retching. To ensure no other surprises awaited them, they checked the remaining rooms, and found where Drake had staying for what looked like months. Among his personal artifacts they were able to find multiple journals and correspondences, which were now scatted on the downstairs table.

“You’re telling your quasi-older brother for years, would subject the kids his parents decided to take in, due to the _kindness of their heats_ , to red lyrium, then study them like some sort of experiment and –“ Nicky held his palm to his temple, unwilling to let himself finish.

“And take advantage of them in their delusional state?” Andrew grinned wide, mocking Nicky. The potion was still in effect, but its affect was wearing thin. He was supposed to take his second dose an hour ago, but Neil couldn’t imagine anyone would force it on him. If they did, Neil might fight them himself. Seeing Andrew laugh hysterically as a hulking monsters choked him midair and disrobed him was not a situation he would ever allow again.

“I haven’t said anything. Drake’s been doing all the talking.” Andrew motioned his arm towards the table and released a laugh. The journals left little room for imagination of exactly what Drake had been doing to those children. While none of them explicitly mentioned Andrew, the correspondences spoke of a past little brother – a half-dwarf who was more resistant to the effects of red lyrium than the human children, one that Drake got to play with far longer than the others.

Neil glanced up from the table and stared at Andrew. He wondered how much Drake had told him in that room before they’d arrives, how much Andrew understood with blood pouring down his head, and how much Andrew would even being willing to tell them. He knew the cost of secrets, and one of Andrew’s had been revealed without his permission.

“The real question is who he’s sending this information to.” Aaron growled, shifting through the papers once again. There was no indication of who these letters were being sent to and he only had papers of his own handwriting.

 “Shit,” Nicky whispered and sat down, “I don’t even want to know how my parents come into all this.”

“Shame. That’s exactly what I plan to find out.” Andrew stood from where he was perched walked straight to the unconscious Luther. They had tied up Nicky’s parents and thrown them on some chairs placed at the far wall. From the sound of his breathing, Luther was just about ready to awaken. Maria though, Neil didn’t know how long she would be out. Nicky had pulled no punches with his spell.

“Rise and Shine, Snake.” Andrew said and Neil saw the glint of a dagger in his hand - he hadn’t even noticed Andrew take it out. Andrew brought the dagger in his hand down hard into Luther’s thigh – and twisted. Luther awoke with a scream.

“Good Morning Luther,” Andrew sang, as he pulled the dagger back out. He casually wiped the blood off on Luther’s robes.

“What in the Maker-” Luther gasped for breath, his voice hoarse.

“Oh no, you can’t ask what. You know better. You knew.” Andrew said the words with progressively more anger. He stepped even closer to Luther, until they shared the same breath, “Looks like I was right after all, or was it just some big misunderstanding? Tell me I’m too unbalanced to understand normal brotherly affection and love. Tell me no Templar is that damn Holy Chantry would dare touch red lyrium and that no man would touch his ‘brother’ like that. Tell me this is natural.”

Luther was silent and gaping at Andrew, terrified beyond belief. Just as he was about to say something, Andrew brought the dagger back up, and held it to Luther’s throat.

“Andrew –“ Aaron reached out to stop his brother.

“No” Andrew spat, before Aaron could touch him. Aaron recoiled his arm, like he’d been burned. Luther was shaking in front of them, and both Nicky and Kevin turned away from the scene, faces pale. Only Neil didn’t move. It had been a while since he saw a man terrified for his life this way, but it was a familiar sight. Any pain Luther got, he deserved.

Andrew reached down, grabbed the man by his hair, and made him look him in the eyes.

 “Hey Luther, guess what? The Spears have taken in six children since me. They’ve only found four of the bodies and no one knows how many more Drake go his hands on. Now you put him in the same house as your son and my brother. Wanna tell me why that is?” Andrew brought the knife closer to his neck, until a small bead of blood began to form. The mage gasped.

“He reached out to us! He – he said he wanted to make amends!” Luther stuttered, “He told us about this place, set it all up. That was why I told you to go to the room – led you to retrieve the mead. We hadn’t known, couldn’t have imagined!”

“This happened before, and you knew. How could you ever be surprised?” Aaron spat, voice dripping with anger. Andrew glanced at his brother and removed the knife at Luther’s neck, casually slipping it back into hiding.

“Dad,” Nicky choked out, “Is this all true?”

Luther opened his mouth, then closed it again, his expression bleak. Aaron gave him a few more seconds to answer, before snapping.

“Go back to sleep.” He growled and outstretched his hand. A flash of light appeared and Luther was out cold once more.

 “Well that got us nowhere.” Nicky sighed and glanced around the room. “I’ll try to contact some of my old associates in the circle – they, they’ll help sort this mess. Bring justice or whatever.” He stood from his chair, sent one last miserable look at his parents, and vacated the room

Aaron ripped his eyes from Luther and swept his gaze across the room.

“I’ll help Nicky.” He stated, and fled after him.

It was another moment before Kevin spoke up, raising his gaze from the parchments strewn across the table.

 “Do you think-“Kevin paused, and glanced between Neil and Andrew “Do you think it could’ve been Riko?”

“Hmmm,” Andrew raised his hand to his mouth, like he was deep concentration, “How would I know?” He shoved himself away from the table then, and too left the room, not bothering to look back.

That led Kevin’s attention immediately to Neil. When he opened his mouth, he spoke in Tevene. “Do you- can you use your magic to bring him back, to ask?”

Sometimes Neil didn’t know if Kevin was just that selfish, or extremely stupid. At those times, it was all Neil could do to not deck him.

“No,” Neil pushed himself out of his chair. Kevin looked like he was about to argue, but when he saw the expression on Neil’s face, he closed his mouth shut.

It was possible for Neil to do it. Blood magic was often used to pull spirits into the world of the living, to force the dead to do the mage’s bidding. His father had done it time and time again.

“You know why I won’t. Never ask again.” He left the room then, following after the others.

Neil didn’t have a destination in mind when he started walking. He found himself further into the cavern than any of Luther’s maps had noted, it was a section the red lyrium had yet to infect. As he kept walking, Neil found a small running stream. At one time it was probably larger, used to run the machinery of the mine, but now it flowed with barely a small trickle.

He followed the stream, curious to where it led and tired of wandering aimlessly. It eventually opened up in a small underground pond. Neil was surprised to find Andrew there, perched at the very edge of it, staring at his own reflection on the water. Neil saw for the first time since he had met Andrew, the black gauntlets the man always wore discarded by his side and his forearms bare.

Along the inner forearm, Neil could make out the pale shade of scared skin, systematically carved into in rows of horizontal lines.

 “Andrew,” Neil said as he stepped closer.

Andrew glanced at him and Neil noticed the complete nothing in his facial expression. He watched Neil for a second, before switching his attention back to his reflection.

 “Do us a favor,” Andrew said, “Let’s not talk for a while.”

Neil didn’t say anything, but didn’t leave either. Instead he moved to the water’s edge, and sat a comfortable distance from Andrew. He watched how the cave walls reflected off the water surface and allowed the sound of the trickling water to wash over him.

They stayed like that for what must have been hours. Andrew never spoke to him, but also never told him to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know for the last two chapters I've been promising to introduce Betsy and Abby. Those scenes have actually been written! They've been written for 4 months! They were originally in this chapter! So they will be in the next one, which hopefully it won't be 2019 by then!
> 
> As for keeping chapters short, I lied, but the next one should just be a building chapter, with hopefully less book rewrite scenes.
> 
> Next Chapter: Abby and Betsy do exist! Renee and Neil bonding! The most awkward desert travel home! Possibly fantasy cops!
> 
> (Also, I really do appreciate feedback. I would love to improve it in any way possible!)


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